“India’s Partnership with North Africa and the Horn of Africa: Issues, Initiatives, Expectations”

(Addis Ababa, 29th-30th of March 2019)

During the period from (29th-30th) March,2019, Ambassador Dr. Ezzat Saad, Director of the Council, participated in the Third Summit of the Forum of India / Africa (IAFSIII) under the theme “The Indian Partnership with North Africa and the Horn of Africa: Issues, Initiatives and Expectations” In Addis Ababa, with the invitation from the Indian Council for World Affairs(ICWA).

In his Intervention at the first session on the “Political and Diplomatic Relations: Issues and Perspectives on Global Political Dialogue and Good Governance”, he emphasized the importance of the the Horn of Africa represents a vital significance to both India and the North African region due to many geo-political, security, and developmental considerations.

In this context, the challenges that face some of the states in the region, particularly political instability and state weakness ( as in the cases of Yemen and Somalia) have led to aggravation of the phenomena of terrorism, piracy, refugees, and the threat to international waterways. These in turn represent a threat to global trade flows as well as a threat to the securing of oil and gas passage, representing a serious threat to the interests of the states of the region in particular and to the international community in general.

These deteriorating situations opened the door widely for the intervention of many extra-regional countries to politically and militarily exist in the region. This represents a retreat from the objectives of The African National Liberation Movement in terms of escaping foreign influence and dependency. Dealing with such complicated and deteriorating political, military, security, and humanitarian situations necessitates the promotion of political dialogue among the states of the region and external parties having interest in its affairs based on respecting the principles of non-interference in internal affairs as well as respecting state sovereignty, its regional safety, security, and stability, in order to push forwards the comprehensive development process therein.

It is important to emphasize the impossibility of tackling such challenges and problems by individual states. This, therefore, imposes bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination which includes Institutions of the African Union as well as other suggested forms of cooperation amongst the states of the region in this respect such as establishing an institutional framework for the coordination and cooperation amongst States of The Horn of Africa and the Red Sea Region.

India, as a large state, having interests in this wide region as well as having historical relations with the region is qualified to play a significant role in the contribution to this region’s stability and development. And India, in this respect, having an outstanding political status, adopting the principles of good international governance, at the political and economic levels, as well as the South-South cooperation e, and the huge developmental achievements it fulfilled over the last few years where it has become the World’s Sixth largest economy and as it also ranks Fourth on the list of Africa’s Large Partners as well as being the Third largest exporter to the Continent with a value of exports that reached up to 62.66 billion dollars in the year 2017-2018, is, with possessing all such major potential, qualified for more engagement in the problems and the challenges facing the region.