India’s defence footprints are expanding steadily across Africa. After Egypt in Northern Africa, Tanzania in Southern-Eastern Africa is emerging as a defence hub for India. During the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar to Tanzania, guided missile frigate, INS Trishul visited the ports of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. INS Trishul conducted India’s first-ever Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance with the Tanzanian Navy. While Tanzania continues to be stable, India’s other partner along Indian Ocean Region – Kenya is suffering from political instability amid massive protests were launched by the Opposition. Meanwhile, Madagascar, a large island nation in the IOR will go for Presidential polls. In Mozambique, World Bank investments are on rise & that can help the economy to grow. Meanwhile, China-South Africa ties continue to widen with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcoming the opening of a new Huawei Innovation Center in Johannesburg. Oman, a key IOR state that plays role of balancer, has sought to widen its ties with Russia with its FM visiting Moscow.
African Safari:Maiden India-Tanzania Joint Surveillance of Tanzanian EEZ
The Economic Times | 11th July 2023
During the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Tanzania, guided missile frigate, INS Trishul visited the ports of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. INS Trishul conducted India’s first-ever Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance with the Tanzanian Navy and also participated in a Maritime Partnership exercise with TNS Fatundu and Pengusi. India’s expanding defence cooperation with various maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean exemplify its commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s doctrine of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region). Among these countries, Tanzania has emerged as a critical partner in India’s defence outreach and Indo-Pacific Policy, showcasing a deepening bond between the two nations. Last year witnessed the inaugural edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania
More than 300 including lawmaker arrested after Kenya protests
Al Jazeera | 13th July 2023
More than 300 people including an opposition lawmaker have been arrested following violent anti-government protests in major Kenyan cities that left several people dead, according to officials. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for civil disobedience and weekly nationwide demonstrations against President William Ruto’s government, recent tax hikes, and the rising cost of living.
Madagascar to vote for president by year end
Seychelles News Agency | 13th July 2023
Voters in Madagascar will go to the polls by the end of the year to re-elect President Andry Rajoelina or pick a successor, the government announced Tuesday. “The head of government summons voters to the polls,” on November 9 for the “first round of presidential election”, and on “December 20 for the second round, if there is one”, said a statement from Prime Minister Christian Ntsay’s office. The dates had already been proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The vote comes at a tense time on the large Indian Ocean island amid questions around Rajoelina’s dual nationality of Madagascar as well as French.
World Bank has invested US$7.1 billion in Mozambique over the last 10 years
Club of Mozambique | 13th July 2023
The World Bank Group has approved about US$7.1 billion in development projects in Mozambique over the last decade. Investments were made in crucial sectors of the Mozambican economy, particularly energy production, infrastructure, agriculture, public finance, municipal development and resilience to climate change. The latter is of particular importance due to the greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
China’s Huawei Launches Innovation Center in South Africa
Voice of America | 13th July 2023
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday welcomed the opening of a new Huawei Innovation Center in Johannesburg, praising the Chinese company for its “confidence in the South African economy and its potential.” Ramaphosa said that adopting Huawei’s new technologies would help Africa “leapfrog into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Huawei was sanctioned in the United States in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump over concerns that Beijing was trying to monopolize networks and possibly use them for espionage. The company, however, already has a huge digital foothold in most of Africa, much of which struggles with low connectivity.
Sayyid Badr meets Lavrov, discusses bilateral realtions
Times of Oman | 11th July 2023
Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister, held a session of talks on Tuesday with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. This came within the framework of Sayyid Badr’s visit to Russia. During the session, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and explored areas of cooperation and means of enhancing them.