India steps up Africa outreach as Modi holds talks with leaders from the continent — SkimNews
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- Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali met Modi on Saturday (September 12, 2026), with the two leaders reviewing progress on their Strategic Partnership across economic cooperation, defence, security, and capacity building, per the External Affairs Ministry.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met Modi on Sunday (September 13, 2026); the New Delhi Declaration referenced South Africa-initiated ICJ proceedings against Israel over Gaza, reaffirming Israel's "legal obligation to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza."
- Ethiopian PM Abiy pitched Ethiopia as a frontrunner in Africa's digital public infrastructure at the BRICS Summit, urging the world to prepare for "disruptions" and that "Africa should help build the next generation of AI."
- Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, attending in his capacity as AU Chairperson, met Modi on Sunday and discussed hosting the India-Africa Forum Summit "early" after its Ebola-driven postponement; Ndayishimiye acknowledged India's assistance to African health authorities during the outbreak.
- Vice Presidents Jessica Rose Epel Alupo of Uganda and Kashim Shettima Mustapha of Nigeria both met Modi on Sunday as "partner country" invitees, covering trade, defence, agriculture, health, and digital technologies.
- The New Delhi Declaration referenced historical racial injustice against Africans, the 1955 Bandung conference's Asian-African solidarity, and a Brazilian-South African plan to launch an "international panel on inequality."
Why it matters: India is using its BRICS host platform to run a parallel mini-Africa agenda, reviving a postponed India-Africa Forum Summit while securing bilateral progress on trade, defence, and digital infrastructure with five African counterparts. For African leaders, the meetings elevate continent-specific priorities — from Ethiopia's AI pitch to South Africa's Gaza ICJ case — into a multipolar summit declaration backed by India's diplomatic weight.
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