Agenda
• Promoting the AU 2025 Theme of the Year, positioning reparations and historical redress within AU frameworks for peace building, development, and global advocacy.
• Facilitating high-level dialogue on innovative and implementable policy pathways for achieving reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
• Celebrating Africa’s diverse cultural heritage as both a repository of memory and a dynamic driver of healing, innovation, and sustainable development.
• Fostering intergenerational and diaspora dialogues that bridge past struggles with future aspirations, allowing youth, artists, civil society, and thought leaders to co-create inclusive narratives of justice, identity, and transformation.
• Reaffirming Member States’ commitment to Pan-African solidarity, resilience, and the cultural and intellectual revival of the continent.
Africa Day Celebration at the Taj Hotel, New Delhi
On May 29, 2025, the African Heads of Missions in India gathered in New Delhi to mark the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). The celebration commemorated the historic 1963 summit in Addis Ababa, where African leaders united to chart a new course for the continent—one defined by self-determination, regional integration, and solidarity.
H.E. Mr. Ermindo Augusto Ferreira, High Commissioner of Mozambique to India and Dean of the African Heads of Missions, in his keynote address at the event, extended a warm welcome to dignitaries, ambassadors, and guests, including the Honourable Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India. The High Commissioner expressed gratitude to Dr. Jaishankar for gracing the event and acknowledged the Ministry of External Affairs for its firm support in nurturing India-Africa relations.
Justice Through Reparations: The Theme for 2025
This year’s AU theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” was at the heart of the evening’s reflections. Addressing the theme, Mr. Ferreira said: “This theme recognises the long arc of history that includes colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and apartheid, and seeks to address the enduring legacies of these injustices. It also highlights contemporary challenges such as systemic racism, economic exclusion, and Africa’s marginalisation in global governance.” Calling for unity across the African continent and diaspora, he emphasised the need for renewed advocacy for equity and redress.
Africa: On the Rise
Today, there is an optimistic outlook on Africa’s future, grounded in initiatives like Agenda 2063, the AU’s strategic framework for inclusive and sustainable development, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “The AfCFTA not only fosters intra-African trade and industrialisation, but also strengthens Africa’s collective voice and competitiveness in the global economy,” according to Mr. Ferreira. With a projected population of 1.4 billion and a GDP expected to double by 2050, the AfCFTA is poised to be a cornerstone of Africa’s economic transformation.
India-Africa Relations: A Model of South-South Cooperation
India’s development model rooted in shared prosperity was appreciated by Mr. Ferreira. He emphasized that “India’s development partnership model, based on shared prosperity and inclusive growth, has meaningfully contributed to Africa’s progress.” He highlighted the achievements of the India-Africa Forum Summit and expressed anticipation for the upcoming summit as a platform to deepen strategic ties and pursue new paths of cooperation.
Invest in Africa
Appreciating Africa’s youthful population, natural resource wealth, and market dynamism, the High Commissioner extended an open invitation to Indian businesses: “Come to Africa. Invest in Africa. Believe in Africa. Together, we can shape a future of shared prosperity.” Finally, he advocated for unity and resolve in the face of both obstacles and opportunities.
Dr. Jaishankar opened with a deep realisation of India’s historic solidarity with Africa, remarking that “our independence would not be complete until Africa secured theirs.” This sentiment, he noted, has now evolved to encompass the shared aspirations of development, prosperity, and progress. In today’s interconnected world, “when we speak of food, health, and energy security, it is not just a concern about our national prospects. It is equally about the challenges that Africa faces and the solutions that could emerge from international partnerships.”
Acknowledging Challenges, Reaffirming Commitment
Taking about the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jaishankar condemned the inequities that emerged during that global crisis, calling out the “vaccine apartheid” and the financial decisions that hurt Africa deeply. “The COVID experience was deeply scarring for all of us,” he said, “but most of all, for African people.” He stressed that even today, the lack of meaningful progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is most stark in Africa, which makes it even more vital for India and Africa to “stand together, firm and fast.”
Voice of the Global South
Dwelling on India and Africa’s central role in shaping the voice of the Global South, Dr. Jaishankar remarked, “Those who raise queries about the Global South will never understand it, and those who get it will never raise questions.” He stressed that India sees Africa not through the lens of transactional diplomacy, but as a trusted partner with whom it shares common values, concerns, and hopes for a more just and inclusive world order. Celebrating the African Union’s full membership in the G20 during India’s presidency, Dr. Jaishankar accentuated, “Along with their freedom, they must also be given their due and rightful place in international platforms.” He reiterated India’s support for comprehensive reforms of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, affirming that “Africa must be represented.”
India also supports Africa’s Agenda 2063 and is determined to contribute to its vision of a better, secure, and sustainable future. “India has always been, and will always be, a partner in that journey,” he said.
From Intent to Action: Cooperation Across Sectors
Drawing attention to India’s ten guiding principles for engaging with Africa, as laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr. Jaishankar highlighted that “Africa’s goals and agenda are India’s priority.” He underscored India’s inclusive, demand-driven model of cooperation that focuses on local capacity building and sustainable growth, distancing itself from the extractive models of the past.
India’s development partnership spans a wide spectrum—from supporting agriculture, digital literacy, and education, to enhancing public service delivery, energy access, and infrastructure. Dr. Jaishankar proudly noted, “In the last decade, we have extended more than $700 million in grant assistance to African countries,” including medical equipment, ambulances, food grain aid, and over 13,000 artificial limbs to patients in 21 countries.
He highlighted India’s growing presence on the continent, with 17 new diplomatic missions in the past few years, bringing the total to 46. Capacity building has been a cornerstone of this engagement, with over 37,000 Africans trained in India under ITEC and ICCR programs in the last 10 years. Initiatives such as the IIT in Zanzibar and various entrepreneurship and IT centres in Africa were cited as strong indicators of India’s commitment to knowledge sharing.
Economic and Strategic Cooperation
India today is Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade approaching $100 billion and Indian investments totalling over $75 billion in diverse sectors. He was optimistic about the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), calling it a promising framework for deeper economic integration.
India has also been a strong security partner, focusing on maritime cooperation, anti-piracy operations, and capacity building. Dr. Jaishankar referenced recent transitions from SAGAR to A-SAGAR, and the upcoming “IKMEX-2025” to underline India’s expanding security ties with Africa.
A Shared Technological Future
With technology as a powerful enabler, India is supporting Africa’s digital transformation through UPI integration, national ID systems, and space-based technologies in agriculture, weather forecasting, and resource management. “The launch of UPI and digital national IDs enabling digital payments and greater financial inclusion are proof of this,” he said.
He also called attention to India’s role in facilitating African participation in global platforms like the International Solar Alliance, Global Biofuel Alliance, and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
