Africa quarterly special on emerging powers.pdf - SAFPI

P O L I T I C A L R E F O R M Spowers. India has, therefore, been able to project its powerwith an air of solidity among the states of the Indian OceanRim (IOR) and beyond (Ashok K., 2006).In a discussion of India’s foreign policy towards <strong>Africa</strong>,Yoshioka (2008, 1-5) observed that despite the absence of acomprehensive strategy, India’s strategic interests in <strong>Africa</strong>revolve around the urge to assume a leading role and responsibilityin <strong>Africa</strong> as a major development and investment partnere<strong>special</strong>ly in the energy sector and security of the IndianOcean. It should not, therefore, besurprising that India is a formalcontender for a permanent seat in theUnited Nations Security Councilwith many <strong>Africa</strong>n countriessupporting this move (Wysoczanska2011, 193-201).In this regard, India has soughtto forge strategic partnerships withleading sub-regional powers in<strong>Africa</strong>, including South <strong>Africa</strong> andNigeria. For instance, in 1997, Indiaand South <strong>Africa</strong> agreed to establisha strategic partnership based on arelationship beyond bilateral andregional settings. It encompassed issues of South-Southcooperation, United Nations reform and regional cooperationin the IOR area (Sardesai and Raju, 2002). As a result,India and South <strong>Africa</strong> spearheaded the establishment of theIndian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation(IOR-ARC). Further, India signed a memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) with the Southern <strong>Africa</strong>nIndia’s strategic interests in<strong>Africa</strong> revolve around theurge to assume a leadingrole and responsibility in<strong>Africa</strong> as a majordevelopment andinvestment partnere<strong>special</strong>ly in the energysector and security of theIndian OceanDevelopment Community (SADC) on cooperation, andthe two have since worked together in organising jointforums from 2006.India has also continued to strengthen ties with Nigeria,a leading sub-regional power in Western <strong>Africa</strong>. India is aleading importer of Nigerian oil. In the same way, in the past10 years, India has sought to enhance bilateral military tieswith littoral states along the Eastern and Southern <strong>Africa</strong>Indian Ocean SLOC (Strategic Line of Communication).India’s world-class militaryinstitutions, particularly theNational Defence University, continueto offer training and capacitybuilding to officers from countries,such as Mozambique, Tanzania,Seychelles, Botswana and Lesotho.These countries, particularlyMozambique, held joint militaryand naval exercises between 2003and 2004.During the same period, South<strong>Africa</strong> and India signed an MoU ondefence cooperation and defencesupplies for India. India’s defenceindustry has made gains in the <strong>Africa</strong>n market in which several<strong>Africa</strong>n countries have bought several air and navalassets, including defence boats and light helicopters fromIndia (Scott D. 2008, 1-20).Most recently at the <strong>Africa</strong>-India Forum summit held inAddis Ababa, Ethiopia, in May 2011, India and <strong>Africa</strong> furtherpledged to strengthen their cooperation in regional andIndian construction company Punj Lloyd is building a US$290-million Melita-Tripoli Pipeline.48August 2011-January 2012