Ahead of G20 Summit, PM Modi's call for 'development without dependency' in Africa takes centre-stage

Johannesburg, Nov 2 (IANS) With South Africa preparing to host the G20 Leaders' Summit in November and international engagement increasing across Africa, the issue of "development without dependency" has once again taken centre-stage in discussions about the continent's future.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acknowledged the historical contributions of both India and Africa and emphasised that future development collaborations must be guided by Africa's own priorities.

In his address to the Ugandan Parliament during his State visit in July 2018, PM Modi outlined a vision not just for bilateral ties with Africa but also for partnership in multilateral forums by articulating the "10 guiding principles for India-Africa engagement", according to an opinion piece published in South Africa-based news website IOL.

"As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November and global engagement in Africa increases, the issues of 'development without dependency' have again played a central role in the discussions around the future of the continent. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recognised the role that India and Africa have played historically, but also that future development partnerships must be guided by Africa's priorities," wrote Govender, an academic and observer of international relations, in the IOL piece.

Concerns shared by PM Modi and the African Union centre on competing aspirations that have made Africa a focal point of global attention -- and the need to ensure the continent does not once again become a theatre of rival ambitions.

The IOL article further stated: "In one of his guiding principles, PM Modi reflects on the shared histories: ‘Just as India and Africa fought colonialism together, we will work together for a just, representative, and democratic global order that gives a voice to one-third of humanity that lives in Africa and India.’ Seven years later, during a historic address to the Parliament of Ghana, PM Modi said that the world order created after the Second World War is changing fast. The revolution in technology, the rise of the Global South, and shifting demographics are accelerating this change -- yet challenges such as those born of colonial rule still persist in different forms."

According to the article, with nearly $100 billion in trade, cumulative investments of nearly $75 billion, and a 3.5-million-strong diaspora, the broader contours of India's Africa policy are increasingly pragmatic and issue-based.

“Progress cannot come without giving voice to the Global South. We need more than slogans; we need action. That is why, during India’s G20 Presidency, we worked with the vision — One Earth, One Family, One Future. We put emphasis on Africa’s rightful place at the global high table. We are proud that the African Union became a permanent member of the G20 during our Presidency,” PM Modi said, as quoted in the report.

With the African Union becoming a permanent member of the G20 through PM Modi’s diplomatic efforts, this alliance is expected to reposition South–South cooperation and redefine global power dynamics in a changing multipolar world.

During the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in September, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also spoke on the issue of development without dependency, warning that the goal of sustainable development is drifting further out of reach for developing nations. He noted that over 85 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently off track, with significant setbacks observed in combating hunger, extreme poverty, and widening inequality.

Ramaphosa said: "As part of our G20 Presidency priorities, we advocate for actions to support low-income and developing economies through debt sustainability and reducing capital costs."

He further observed that while the global economy has shown some resilience, the pressing challenges of sluggish growth, high debt, restricted financing conditions, and limited fiscal space must be acknowledged.

According to the IOL opinion piece, Ramaphosa stressed that meaningful reforms of the international financial architecture are essential to address these issues effectively.

--IANS

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