Modi may offer billions in credit to Africa today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to make big-ticket announcements Thursday at the India-Africa Forum Summit here, that may include a possible announcement of a fresh line of credit worth billions of dollars for African nations, as Mr Modi held back-to-back bilateral meetings Wednesday with 19 visiting African heads of state and government, something that the external affairs ministry described as a “sort of a new record”, with all the bilateral meetings being “structured”. Mr Modi will also hold bilateral meetings on Thursday and Friday with other heads of state/government like the Egyptian and Sudanese Presidents. Many African countries sought to ask India for infrastructural development and expertise in transport, education and health, with Namibia and Niger discussing possible sale of nuclear fuel uranium to India.

India also thanked Djibouti for its crucial role in helping India carry out evacuation operations from strife-torn Yemen earlier this year. Djibouti also presented certain financial proposals for assistance to India. Some African nations, including Ghana, also wanted line of credit terms from India to be “more favourable”.

Reflecting the importance New Delhi attaches to India-Africa ties, Mr Modi told chairperson of African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma that “India and Africa are made for each other”, while pitching for further expansion of ties. Three African nations, including Chad and Equatorial Guinea, told India they wanted to open embassies in New Delhi. A “political” declaration and a declaration detailing the framework of Indian-African cooperation are expected to be adopted on Thursday.

In his bilateral talks with the African leaders, Mr Modi asserted that the fight against “international terrorism” can only succeed if there was “concerted global action”, while on UN reforms, he conveyed to them it was time to “get together and take a firm stand”. He also said there was a need to remove the “legal lacunae” in the fight against the menace of terrorism, stressing that the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism must be ratified by the UN. Noting any sidetracking in defining terrorism will weaken the fight, he said an “overreaching umbrella convention” was required to deal with the menace.

Niger, meanwhile, discussed anti-terrorism cooperation with India in the face of the threat to its neighbourhood from dreaded terror group Boko Haram. Its neighbour Nigeria, which is battling Boko Haram, sought an increase in defence cooperation with India, but strangely the threat posed by Boko Haram apparently did not figure in the talks the Nigerian President had with Mr Modi. But India raised the issue of 11 Indian crew members of a ship who have been languishing in a Nigerian prison and sought faster judicial proceedings and repatriation of the Indian nationals. The Nigerian President said there was huge scope for India’s participation in the oil and gas sector. He said India has become the largest importer of crude oil, replacing the US, and it can participate in long-term projects in the oil and gas sectors.

UN Security Council reform was discussed in detail with some leaders, including the South African President. India also told Mozambique in bilateral talks that it is likely to propose a special session on solar energy and issues on technology transfer to developing nations during the UN climate change summit in Paris later this year, which is likely to see the participation of Mr Modi himself. India is also considering providing easy credit facilities to some African countries.

Through the day, Prime Minister Modi met the Presidents of Zimbabwe, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Guinea, Djibouti, Niger, Chad, South Africa, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and also met the vice-president of Botswana and Prime Ministers of Lesotho, Mozambique and Sao Tome. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also held bilateral meetings with several African foreign ministers.

Among the prominent leaders Mr Modi met were South African President Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ugandan President Yoweri Musaveni.

Ghana discussed cooperation with India in the light of discovery of two huge reserves of natural gas. India also took up with Togo the issue of five Indian nationals who are detained there since 2013 and discussed whether there could be a presidential pardon for them. Senegal sought Indian assistance in its railway sector.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ms Swaraj said Indian companies must invest more in African countries as they offer resources and growth opportunities that can be a win-win situation for both sides. “Nowhere is the impact of growth and development as visible as in Africa... The day you combine your strength with their needs, that would be a win-win situation for both ...Their needs would be fulfilled and you would make money,” she said while addressing the India-Africa Business Forum here.