India Offers Africa Better Alternatives Than Western States: Expert

The Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to increase their collaboration in a variety of fields, including commerce, investment, defense, and counterterrorism, during the former's visit to Delhi Monday.

This marked the upgrading of India and Tanzania's relations to a strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, General Manoj Pande, the head of the Indian Army, was recently spotted in Tanzania to expand India's access to the enormous African arms market, which is influenced by Chinese military technology.

Hassan's visit comes shortly after an agreement was reached to establish the first prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Tanzania and the African Union's acceptance as a full member to the G20 Summit that was hosted by India last month.

Against this backdrop, Sputnik India spoke to three commentators: Lieutenant General Anil Ahuja (Retd), a distinguished fellow from the Vivekananda International Foundation; Captain Sarabjeet Parmar (Retd), a distinguished fellow from the United Service Institution of India, and Anum Khan, an associate fellow at the National Maritime Foundation.

India-Africa Defense Ties

“Many people know but do not fully realize the fact that, after Asia, Africa has the second-fastest rate of growth in the world, with a GDP that has tripled in the last 15 years. India's inclination to cooperate with Africa is only logical given the country's expanding middle class, demographic dividend, and access to natural resources.” Lt General Ahuja told Sputnik India.

Ahuja highlighted the four main pillars that embody India’s development partnership approach with Africa: capacity building and training under Indian technical and economic cooperation (ITEC), lines Of credit (LOC) or concessional loans and grant assistance, trade, and investments. Similarly, Modi's speech in Uganda in 2018 unveiled a set of guiding principles for India’s engagement with Africa, he said.

Meanwhile, as an outcome document of the second India-Africa Defense Dialogue in 2022, the Gandhinagar Declaration was adopted. The declaration involved cooperation in training and military exercises, defense equipment and technology sharing, cooperation and cyber counterterrorism, UN peacekeeping operations, and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), said, the lt. general.

He further highlighted that the joint statement between India and Tanzania on Monday showcases that East Africa is perceived as a valuable partner by Indian authorities and agreed to enhance cooperation in maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.

Accessing African Arms Market

In terms of accessing the African nation's arms market, Ahuja stated that India is not competing with established manufacturers of weapons, or big arms exporters like the United States, France, Russia, or Israel. India is not competing with anyone… India is seeking ways to engage with African countries over shared issues like counterterrorism, cyber, and IT technologies while also offering them cheaper alternatives to pricey Western suppliers.

“Arms exports are carried out by enterprises supported by the nation. However, the majority of India’s exports are from a PSU (public sector undertaking), and the private players have yet to enter. As India's defense market improves and develops, we will provide stiffer competition to other companies and other countries in terms of arms export," said Captain Parmar

Likewise, Parmar emphasized that if India wants to be a preferred supplier and provider, it must first comprehend the defense expectations and requirements of the individual country and concentrate on advancing its technology. Second, India needs to be reliable and give the other countries much more than they require. As a result, customers can purchase a variety of equipment directly from India.

Tanzania: A Gateway to Africa

“Tanzania is possibly the first African country with which India has such a significant win. It is envisaged that additional countries will join India under this aegis and that this trade will produce a fruitful corridor of engagement," added Parmar.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the Indian Navy's strategic document of 2015 focuses on three pillars: stability, peace, and security. One of the strategic factors that come into play when all nations are involved is the desire for everyone to live in a safe, stable, and peaceful environment where everyone may progress together. This also falls under the purview of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)- India’s policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.

“History has shown that the majority of African nations gained independence following World War II, and the larger objective of South-South cooperation is based on their shared goals and solidarity and is guided by, among other things, the principles of respect for national sovereignty and ownership, free from any conditions. Consequently, the defense cooperation between India and Africa also supports South-South cooperation,” he added.

African Perspective

With 35 active armed conflicts throughout the continent, "Africa's main objective is to develop an effective security architecture. Africa's nation-states have a weak framework through which new countries are continually growing. India could help the warring parties achieve their immediate, specific goals to bring about peace. India might assist in developing a framework for the African Union's peace and security council, said Khan.

Khan argued that defense ties extend beyond merely facilitating an arms purchase and also involve building up a partner nation's capabilities to use in any circumstance. India must, therefore, view Africa from a continental and maritime perspective.

Unregulated arms supply serves as a conduit for violence in Africa as a result of asymmetrical players, and a single terrorist group has numerous subgroups that could frighten the targeted population by displaying their weapons. Therefore, an African government seeking to restore peace would aim to control the supply of guns and remove their ready access to these groups, Khan added

Additionally, Khan said, armaments serve as a form of cash for these groups, enabling them to prolong their conflicts for a long time.

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