Common Futures

security
The Indian defence cooperation with other countries in Africa is directly linked
to the issue of maritime security, which is a particularly critical issue for India,
considering the size of Indian energy imports from Africa and the need to
secure its shipping routes.
initiative to train troops in six African countries before they are deployed to
UN peacekeeping missions. 2
At the bilateral level, considering the great military-industrial progress
achieved by India, the areas of cooperation in the R&D and manufacturing
of defence systems are numerous. India already has ongoing contracts with
South Africa to develop defence systems. In the framework of the India-
Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA), trilateral military exercises have
been conducted since 2009, including naval exercises 3 . Nevertheless, when
speaking about India’s policy priority, which motivates cooperation with
countries in the Indian Ocean Region, it is important to look at the two
issues of maritime security and terrorism.
The Indian defence cooperation with other countries in Africa is directly
linked to the issue of maritime security, which is a particularly critical issue for
India, considering the size of Indian energy imports from Africa and the need
to secure its shipping routes. The Indian counter-piracy operations in East
Africa were in coordination with African countries along the Indian Ocean.
India already has military cooperation agreements with Kenya, Seychelles,
Mozambique, and Madagascar, and military training frameworks with a large
number of countries. 4 India is also actively seeking a long-term lease on a
group of small islands belonging to Mauritius, so that it can establish a base
to protect its energy imports from Africa. 5
Terrorism is not a new threat to India. Ever since the Mumbai attacks in
2008, India has been developing its counter-terrorism capabilities. It has
been relentlessly working towards the adaptation of the Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN. 6 However, the
nature of the terrorist threat affecting India as well as many African countries
is changing. The rise of ISIL in Syria and Iraq followed by the war in Yemen
has resulted in an influx of terrorists present in the Middle East, and renewed
momentum in the Indian Ocean Region. While Al-Qaeda in Yemen is
2 “U.S., India Agree to Jointly Train Peacekeepers in Africa.” Reuters. September 22, 2015. Accessed
October 5, 2015.
3 A. Dutta. “Role of India’s Defence Cooperation Initiatives in Meeting the Foreign Policy Goals” in
The Journal of Defence Studies, Vol. 3, No. 3, July 2009, p. 36.
4 Alex Vines, “India’s Security Concerns in the Western Indian Ocean”, in Emma Mawdsley and
Gerard McCann (eds.), India in Africa: Changing Geographies of Power, Oxford, Pambazuka Press,
2011
5 “India Vies with China for Influence in Africa.” The Globe and Mail. Accessed October 5, 2015.
6 “Full Text of EAM Sushma Swaraj’s Speech at UN: ‘There Can Be No Distinction between Good
and Bad Terrorists’.” The Indian Express. October 2, 2015. Accessed October 5, 2015.
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