Africa Trends

At the very least, the decision on text-based negotiations has brought some more
legitimacy to the process of reform. However, there is no guarantee yet that
Security Council reform is any closer or any less complicated.

• Arpita Anant |
• July-September 2015 |
• Africa Trends

During the Great War, seven Indian Expeditionary Forces (IEF) from 'A' to 'G' were employed of which IEF 'B' and IEF 'C' are of interest. In the four year period from 1914 to 1918 nearly 50,000 Indian troops passed through East Africa. At any one time in-theatre there were about 15,000 troops.

• P. K. Gautam |
• July-September 2015 |
• Africa Trends

The emergence of the AU as a player in maintenance of peace and security should
not mean prioritising regionalism over the true spirit of internationalism that the
UN ought to represent. This may need a reform or two on both sides.

• Saurabh Mishra |
• July-September 2015 |
• Africa Trends

The paucity of options for a solution will lead to increasing securitisation of
migration in Europe. Meanwhile, the African Union should recognise that the
migrant problem is as much theirs as of Europe. After all, the migrants perishing
in the sea are not Europeans, but Sub-Saharan Africans.

• Nachiket Khadkiwala |
• April-June 2015 |
• Africa Trends

Despite the decline in piracy, there are other threats such as threat of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. The recent discovery of large deposits of natural gas off the country's sea coast has made the Tanzanian government vary of threat to the emerging natural gas infrastructure in the region and it is open to finding new partners, like India, to deal with this peril.

• Ruchita Beri |
• April-June 2015 |
• Africa Trends

For the Burundians a non-violent electoral process was significant for the
consolidation of peace and economic recovery in the country, as well as for
democracy in the wider Great Lakes region. However, the decision of the current President, Pierre Nkurunziza, to run for the third term had sparked anger among the opposition parties and Burundian population as they saw this move as unconstitutional.

• Kuhoo Saxena |
• April-June 2015 |
• Africa Trends

As both Ethiopia and India are old countries, with 3000 and 5000 years of history
respectively, their relations go back thousands of years.

• Genet Zewide |
• April-June 2015 |
• Africa Trends

Libya has ripened into a proxy war between the regional powers. While Qatar, Turkey and Sudan have been supporting the Libya Dawn and General National Congress (GNC) based in Tripoli, Egypt and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are backing the internationally recognised government based in Tobruk and its allied General Khalifa Haftar's Operation Dignity. However, such a proxy war will only destabilise Libya.

• Nachiket Khadkiwala |
• January-March 2015 |
• Africa Trends

On March 28, 2015, Nigerians elected to power a new government after 16 years.
Despite the constant threat of Boko Haram looming, the Nigerian people were
not afraid and came out in large numbers to vote.

• Kuhoo Saxena |
• January-March 2015 |
• Africa Trends

Since 2012, the Gulf of Guinea has emerged as one of the most pirate-infested
waters in the world, posing an urgent security threat to the maritime environment. While the total number of piracy incidents world-wide has fallen in recent years… attacks on the west coast of Africa have witnessed a steady rise, now accounting for nearly a fifth of all attacks.

• Abhijit Singh |
• January-March 2015 |
• Africa Trends

Essentially local Islamist extremist groups such as the Boko Haram, which thrive on the domestic social and economic deprivations, seem to be moving towards collaboration with international Islamist groups. This phenomenon is not new, considering the links of Somali groups with the Al-Qaeda.

• Saurabh Mishra |
• October-December 2014 |
• Africa Trends

India's historic ties with Mozambique have got a boost in recent years with several high level visits from the country including that of Mozambican President in 2010 and the Mozambican Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi in November 2014. These visits are important in terms of India's growing interest in Mozambique's energy sector.

• Ruchita Beri |
• October-December 2014 |
• Africa Trends

Much was anticipated from his administration, especially with regard to working more closely with the African continent. But it was only in his second term beginning 2013 that he managed to focus on the African countries by initiating the US-Africa Leaders Summit in August 2014.

• Aakriti Sethi |
• October-December 2014 |
• Africa Trends

The aspirations of the youth who protested at the Tahrir Square, the next course of action for the Muslim Brotherhood, the participation of other Islamists in the forthcoming elections and the role of military in the Sisi regime are some of the important issues which need to be resolved for the stability of the country.

• Prasanta Kumar Pradhan |
• July-September 2014 |
• Africa Trends

The succession debate has haunted the ZANU PF right from its foundation in the 1950s. Given the fact that the leader of the party is well into his 90s, and oldage ailments are fast catching up with him, factionalism within the party has been the order of the day.

• Frederick Chakupa Sadomba |
• July-September 2014 |
• Africa Trends

It is believed that the current situation in West Africa is a result of the delayed response and assistance from the international community to the Ebola outbreak. However, there is evidence that some international organisations have been constantly working to contain the spread of the disease since its outbreak in March 2014.

• Kuhoo Saxena |
• July-September 2014 |
• Africa Trends

Containment of the terror threat in Sahel secures Europe, particularly its Southern parts; hence France has an interest in securing the region. However, France will not try to address the deep rooted political and socio-economic factors that are at the core of the Malian conflict as well as conflicts in other parts of Sahel.

• Nachiket Khadkiwala |
• April - June 2014 |
• Africa Trends

At the Malabo summit, the member states of the African Union seem to have set forth ambitious goals for pushing development, security and the integration agenda in the continent. Translation of these goals into reality will require coordination and cooperation by the African leaders and other stakeholders at a continental level.

• Ruchita Beri |
• April-June 2014 |
• Africa Trends

Indian communities in Africa constitute 12.37 per cent of the total strength of India Diaspora and they reside in 46 countries of Africa inhabiting all linguistic, cultural or geographical regions of the continent

• Rajneesh Kumar Gupta |
• April-June 2014 |
• Africa Trends

Achieving a lasting and successful peace would involve addressing the root causes of the tension and a commitment to keeping peace. The world is looking to see how the youngest nation can prove that rebel movements can not only win freedom, but also sustain it.

• George Thomas |
• January-March 2014 |
• Africa Trends