Hit by Ebola scare, MEA puts off key Africa summit

A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs told The Sunday Express: “The decision to defer the India-Africa Forum Summit scheduled this December was carefully taken keeping in view the logistical difficulties that we expected …following the Ebola outbreak in some parts of Africa.”

In fact, it is for the first time since the summits started in April 2008 that the ministry decided to call all 54 countries. Proposed by the MEA, the idea to expand the scope of the summit by calling all heads of state, and not just a representative group, was approved by the Prime Minister’s Office. About 1,000 delegates in all were expected to attend.

When conceiving the summit India consciously decided that the African Union Commission be given the flexibility to decide the format. A representative group, with appropriate regional balance decided in consultation with the commission, was invited for the first gathering. The intention was to avoid giving an impression that India looked down on the continent by “parading” all 54 nations in New Delhi, a practice followed by China.

China’s ham-handed treatment of African leaders does not seem to have affected its rampant presence in the continent and but for India, any erosion of goodwill could do harm. While accurate data of Chinese investment in Africa is hard to come by, estimates by various agencies suggest it topped $75 billion during 2001-2010.

India has had historical ties with Africa, but woke up late to the rising Chinese interest in the continent that is abundantly rich in natural resources. India-Africa trade in 2011 was just over a third of China-Africa trade in the same year.

Anand Sharma, former commerce and industry minister, told The Indian Express, “Deferring the summit for the reason that some African countries have Ebola is a crude way of doing it. It only shows disrespect, arrogance and arbitrariness. It will adversely affect our relationship (with Africa).” He emphasised that the the Ebola disease was restricted to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia in west Africa.

The official spokesman, however, said the current situation and public health guidelines would not allow the government the kind of wider summit that it had in mind. “We intend to work out fresh dates for 2015 in consultation with the African Union Commission,” he said.

India has pledged $10 million to UN’s Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund, making it the fourth biggest donor. It has contributed another $2 million for purchase of gear and $500,000 to the World Health Organisation as assistance in dealing with the outbreak.