African Union in G20: How India successfully pushed engagement with AU nations and amplified Global South’s voice

Sources said the idea germinated after the ‘Voice of the Global South’ summit in January this year, in which most of the African continent’s 55 countries had participated. The discussions were carried forward in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, which houses the headquarters of the African Union. So far there was only one country from the entire African continent in the G20 – South Africa.

Many African leaders had argued that Europe is represented by five countries as well as the European Union (EU), and the African Union merits similar representation as well.

Very soon, the US and French Presidents affirmed their support.

Officials said that the move was a “right step” towards a “just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance”.

“As part of India’s G20 Presidency, India has particularly focused on incorporating the priorities of the African countries in the G20 agenda,” the source said.

The move is a reflection of the intensity of New Delhi’s engagement with Africa, which got a fillip when more than 40 Heads of State and Government came for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit in October 2015.

Under the Africa Outreach initiative, India has had visits to all African countries at Ministerial level. Modi himself has visited at least 10 countries in Africa in the last nine years.

While India’s structured outreach to Africa began in 2008, China has stolen the march, as it first held its outreach in 2000, when Jiang Zemin was President. The Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) process began when the first ministerial meeting was held in Beijing that year, and has come a long way since then as a show of evolving Chinese interests in the African continent.

But, with this move of including the African Union in the G20 grouping, India has pitched itself as a leader of the developing and underdeveloped countries. This is also in sync with India’s aspiration for permanent membership of the UNSC, for which Delhi is keen to garner support from Africa that has 55 votes.