Why the fourth India-Africa forum summit should happen during Delhi’s G20 presidency

Source: The post is based on the article “Why the fourth India-Africa forum summit should happen during Delhi’s G20 presidency” published in The Indian Express on 6^th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – International Relations – Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings

Relevance: About the fourth IAFS

News: The fourth India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) was disrupted by the pandemic, causing a delay after the previous three summits held in 2008, 2011, and 2015.

This disruption has caused a setback to the African Union’s (AU) envisioned summit timeline. Now, since the AU is holding summits with its partners, India should also hold the fourth IAFS before the G20 summit this year.

How can the fourth IAFS be held before the G20 summit?

First, currently, it is Africa’s turn to host the fourth IAFS. The previous summits took place in India, with the second one held in Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union Commission.

Initially, Mauritania was recommended as the host for the fourth IAFS. However, it was found that Mauritania lacks the necessary facilities to accommodate a large summit.

Therefore, discussions have shifted now to find a viable host location. In such a scenario, Addis Ababa is the best suited as it has the facilities for holding such large summits.

Second, the size of the fourth IAFS may be an issue. The first two summits followed the Banjul formula, involving 15 African countries and the AU Commission. However, the third summit expanded to include all 54 African countries, making it a massive event.

The options are whether to invite all African countries or return to the Banjul formula. However, hosting a large summit is time-consuming.

On the other hand, when the summit is held in Africa, following the Banjul formula with 15 countries is more manageable. 

Third, there are concerns over members who will attend the summit. The Banjul format includes both permanent and rotational members of IAFS. The five permanent members are South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, and Egypt, who are the founders of the New Economic Partnership for African Development.

However, these countries do not provide sufficient regional representation from all parts of Africa. Hence, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) play a crucial role in ensuring regional balance.

When the AU was established in 2002, it recognized eight RECs. The countries that chair these eight RECs should be invited to participate in the summit, allowing for broader representation across the continent.

What is the importance of the Banjul format for India?

The inclusion of the Banjul format in the summit allows for increased interaction with countries that may not engage in bilateral discussions with India.

For instance, Comoros is strategically important, but engagements with it are infrequent.

Which countries are expected to participate if fourth IAFS is held this year following the Banjul format?

The five permanent invitees, including South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, and Egypt along with the AU Chair Comoros and Senegal as the past chair are expected to be the part of the fourth IAFS.

Apart from the five permanent invitees and the AU representatives, there would be eight other representatives invited to the fourth IAFS.