58 results found
The Ankara Declaration, brokered by Türkiye, is poised to play a crucial role in stabilising the increasingly volatile Horn of Africa while strengthe
Massive resources are needed to realign Africa's SDGs, and the current global financial order is proving to be inadequate. The AU must boost efforts a
Given the dearth of natural resources, all major powers are intensifying their collaboration with African countries and investing in infrastructure an
The wide array of economic sectors covered under the PGII’s Lobito Corridor is aimed at countering Chinese presence in African countries
The New Delhi Declaration’s policy commitments in the health sector emphasise the role of the G20 in revising the existing financial and global heal
Russia’s foreign policy underlines the significant role that both China and African countries will play
With its new strategy for partnership with African countries, France aims to break away from its past approach towards the continent
How are the African countries dealing with the renewed interest in Africa by China, the US, and Russia?
There are multiple reasons for African countries to be cautiously optimistic about the new US policy.
Equivocal sentiments emanate from African countries on their stance on voting for the UN resolution demanding withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrai
As the Omicron wave in Africa recedes, hard lockdowns seem to be a thing of the past
The fading of Sino-optimism seen in African countries and the emergence of new western initiatives in counter to BRI are ample reasons for China to re
Despite the importance of capacity building in India’s development cooperation programme with African countries, a comprehensive assessment of India
Are African countries ready to handle a potential outbreak?
An efficient and low-cost transport system is a prerequisite for African countries to become competitive in the global market.
Recent events in Algeria and Sudan have brought the difficult and complicated task of democratic civilian transition in African countries back into fo
African countries should learn from mistakes that have already been made while pursuing their own path in Internet security.
Gulf’s involvement in Horn of Africa can be seen as both a boon and a curse.
The Western Indian Ocean region’s geographical proximity and its rich natural resources, provides India with a great opportunity to increase its mar
Whether China will be able to implement its commitments at a fast pace and accord priority to important areas of cooperation will ultimately depend on
The many success stories of Indian LOC funded projects, which has been welcomed positively by Africa, indicates the point that African countries have
Questions of relevance have come to the fore with the decision by three African countries — Burundi, South Africa and Gambia — to withdraw from th
By pledging humanitarian assistance, but ignoring that conflict is the root cause of famines, the US and UK aren’t making a difference.
Considering the importance of Lines of Credits in India's development cooperation programme, ORF has undertaken a study of the system and process of LOCs. Early results point to need for improvements in the system.
The COVID-19 outbreak poses immense challenges to Africa’s resilience. The pandemic’s economic fallout, caused by disruptions in global and regional value chains and a slump in commodity prices, can derail the progress which the continent has recorded in recent years. Despite the bleak forecasts, however, African countries have managed to mount a concerted response to the pandemic. This paper examines the extent of the economic and health imp
Even after the decolonisation of Africa, the continent was unable to formulate, let alone implement its own agenda because of its deep political and economic vulnerabilities. This situation has changed in the last two decades, and today, Africa is witnessing political and economic resurgence. Its leaders realise that the time has come for African development to be owned and driven by the African people themselves. There is a new enthusiasm for th
Over the last two decades, China has established a significant economic presence in most African countries. Its lucrative economic investment package, flexible political approach, and focused big-ticket development projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provide an ostensibly massive opportunity to African countries. However, the unilateral nature of the initiative, the lack of transparency and accountability to African countries, and t
In October 2019, China’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Mauritius opened the Chinese market to Mauritian exporters and investors. Not long after, concerns arose that Mauritius might be lacking in the capacity to benefit significantly from the agreement and thus lose in terms of a trade imbalance that clearly favours China. This brief revisits China’s motivations for the FTA, and finds economic and geopolitical goals. Given Mauritius’s smal
This paper trains the spotlight on India’s relations with Africa by studying the country’s relations with two east African countries – Tanzania and Kenya, and two south African countries – Mozambique and South Africa. The paper opens with a description of the trade, investment, and development cooperation links between India and these countries. An assessment follows of three key areas in these bilateral relationships: energy, food securi
The Mali crisis has attained added significance in view of the fact that many other African countries like Nigeria and Somalia are also facing the problem of terrorism. The weakness of the armed forces in most African nations encourages such rebel forces. This re-emphasises the urgent need for an efficient African Rapid Deployment Force.
In recent years, China has increasingly invested in West Africa to further its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, diversify its supply chains, and acquire critical minerals and raw materials for its domestic industries. Indeed, China sees immense potential in West Africa for the region’s ability to provide a secure supply of critical minerals and energy resources insulated from the West. Beijing is now the region’s largest bilateral trading
In recent years, China has increasingly invested in West Africa to further its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, diversify its supply chains, and acquire critical minerals and raw materials for its domestic industries. Indeed, China sees immense potential in West Africa for the region’s ability to provide a secure supply of critical minerals and energy resources insulated from the West. Beijing is now the region’s largest bilateral trading
The importance of today's Africa for India is self-evident. India's ambitions of being a global power cannot be achieved without the support of the African continent consisting of 55 countries. Nowhere is the importance of African countries felt more than on the issue of the expansion of the UN Security Council.
Africa faces various challenges in ensuring equitable access to life-saving drugs. Drug prices in the continent are largely unregulated, making locally produced drugs more expensive than the imported ones. The African countries thus rely heavily on imports to meet their pharmaceutical needs. Further, the medicine delivery systems in the countries are encumbered by the poor implementation of regulatory policies, if they are in place at all. East A
The African continent faces escalating climate threats, with rising temperatures, sea-level rise, water stress, and extreme weather events causing widespread negative consequences. This brief argues for the need to build a business case for greater adaptation investment in Africa. Climate change is already causing significant economic losses, with African countries losing 2-5 percent of GDP annually, while adaptation investments could yield retur
In many African countries—some of the most unbanked areas in the world—digital banking applications are redefining what it is to bank in economies with shallow penetration of the formal banking sector, representing an innovative force that is breaking new ground in the long-standing challenge of financial inclusion. This brief explores the emerging world of fintech in the context of Africa, outlining why financial technology applications are
Although India and Africa have long shared close ties, engagement between the two regions is yet to reach its full potential. However, amid the global green transition and attempts to enhance energy security, green hydrogen—increasingly seen as the ‘fuel of the future’—could provide a new avenue for cooperation between the regions. Such a partnership, focused on building a global value chain for the large-scale adoption of green h
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of healthcare systems and strained economies across the globe. India and countries in Africa have emerged as hotspots due to the dual burden of large populations and weak health infrastructure. This lack of infrastructure, coupled with decreasing investments in healthcare over the years, has left their societies and governments underprepared and potentially overwhelmed by COVID-19. As developing reg
Africa has emerged as a favoured investment destination on account of the high rate of growth experienced by many African countries and discovery of oil.
India's economic cooperation with many of the African countries is booming but some parliamentarians from Africa think that to make the cooperation more constructive, India should try to make the local population also stake holders.
Saying that India is ideally placed to build partnerships with African countries, the Rwandan High Commissioner to India, Mr. Williams Nkurunziza, has suggested that India should take the lead in the industrialisation and human resource development of Africa by investing in its capacity building.
Incidents in China should serve as a reminder that racial bias against Africans will be counterproductive for countries wanting to pursue a holistic partnership with African countries.
India and Africa’s complementary sectoral priorities and similar roles in the evolving global food markets present numerous opportunities for collaboration in the agricultural sector. This paper analyses the potential for India-Africa cooperation towards food security and capacity building. It makes an assessment of Indian partnership with African countries in the areas of agriculture and food security, outlines current initiatives in both regi
India has made significant strides in agricultural production since the days of green revolution and has valuable lessons to share with its development partners, including countries in the African continent. This paper argues that there is a strong rationale for India-Africa collaboration on food security, given their common challenges of hunger, undernutrition, and low productivity. The paper finds that India plays an important role in augmentin
The Western Indian Ocean Region (WIOR) is linked to India in several ways, yet it remains conspicuous in its absence from India’s foreign policy discourse. This lack of attention is now beginning to reverse as external players stake their geopolitical claims in the region. India has responded by reorienting its own nautical outlook towards WIOR and building friendly relationships with African countries that straddle the region. This bri
The seventh of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. This challenge is acute in the African continent, home to large populations without access to electricity and clean cooking fuel. This brief explores the scope for cooperation between India and Africa in not only achieving SDG 7, but while doing so, also considering the targets set by SDG 5 to
Developing national digital strategies has become crucial for all countries, especially for developing nations. African countries, in particular, must find a niche in the global digital economy to accelerate inclusive social and economic development using technology. This brief compares the national digital strategies of 17 African countries and analyses them based on the typology of the relationship between state and society in the context of th
The US needs to seriously reconsider its policy of advising African countries about how they go about their foreign policy or risk losing any goodwill it has left in the region. Also, perhaps, Obama's Africa visit has come too late in the day and his promises are too little to entice the Africans.
