Third India-Africa Forum Summit

The Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) was held in New Delhi, India from 26–30 October 2015. The five-day summit started with consultations on official level followed by the head of states/governments level summit on 29 October 2015 with scheduled bilateral meetings on 30 October 2015. This is going to be India's biggest diplomatic outreach involving delegates from a large number of African nations.[1][2]

3rd India-Africa Forum Summit
The lion logo depicting African and Indian lion
Host countryIndia
Date26–29 October 2015
MottoReinvigorated Partnership-Shared Vision
Venue(s)Indira Gandhi Arena
CitiesNew Delhi
Follows2nd India-Africa Forum Summit
Precedes4th India-Africa Forum Summit
Websitemea.gov.in/india-africa-forum-summit-2015/index.html

Background

The summit was earlier scheduled to be held in December 2014, with a three-year gap after the 2011 Adis Ababa summit. But Syed Akbaruddin, the official spokesperson of Indian Foreign Ministry, told the media that the scheduled summit was postponed to 2015 and would include a higher number of African leaders unlike the previous two summits where the event was restricted to only 10–15 African countries. Although media reports claimed that Ebola outbreak in Western African nations played key role behind the postponement of the summit.[3]

Invitations were sent out to all 54 African nations through the respective Indian missions but it was not delivered only in Libya, as there is no government functioning at the time, and the Indian embassy also had to move to Tunisia. India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj herself handed over the invitation to South African President Jacob Zuma during her visit to the African country in May 2015.[4][5]

The logo depicts a lion with one half of an African lion and another half of an Indian lion. The official website mentioned about the logo: "Proud, Courageous, Bold and on the Prowl, ready to take on the future and seize every opportunity". In the background African map overlapping merges with Indian map in a reference to ancient Gondwanaland when Indian subcontinent used to be part of today's Africa's continental landmass millions of years ago.[6] The India Gate, one of the iconic landmark of Delhi, the host city will be illuminated with 3D laser projection showing India-Africa shared heritage and India's contribution in African peace and prosperity, throughout the summit week.[7]

Participants

The host country, India, had sent invitations to all 54 African head of state/government and trying to ensure maximum participation at the highest level. As of September 2015, the following dignitaries were expected to attend the summit in Delhi, India.[8]

Country Title Leader
1.  AlgeriaPrime MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal
2.  AngolaVice PresidentManuel Vicente
3.  BeninPresidentYayi Boni
4.  BotswanaForeign MinisterPhandu Skelemani
5.  Burkina FasoPresidentBlaise Compaoré
6.  BurundiPresidentPierre Nkurunziza
7.  Cape VerdePresidentJorge Carlos Fonseca
8.  ChadPresidentIdriss Déby
9.  CameroonPresidentPaul Biya
10.  ComorosPresidentIkililou Dhoinine
11.  Cote d'IvoirePrime MinisterDaniel Kablan Duncan
12.  Congo–BrazavillePresidentDenis Sassou Nguesso
13.  DjiboutiPresidentIsmaïl Omar Guelleh
14.  DR CongoPresidentJoseph Kabila
15.  EgyptPrime MinisterSherif Ismail
16.  Equatorial GuineaPresidentTeodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
17.  EthiopiaPrime MinisterHailemariam Desalegn
18.  GabonPresidentAli Bongo Ondimba
19.  GambiaPresidentYahya Jammeh
20.  GhanaPresidentJohn Dramani Mahama
21.  GuineaPresidentAlpha Condé
22.  Guinea-BissauPresidentJosé Mário Vaz
23.  KenyaPresidentUhuru Kenyatta
24.  LesothoPrime MinisterTom Thabane
25.  LiberiaVice PresidentJoseph Boakai
26.  LibyaPrime MinisterAbdullah al-Thani
27.  MadagascarPresidentHery Rajaonarimampianina
28.  MalawiPresidentPeter Mutharika
29.  MaliPresidentIbrahim Boubacar Keïta
30.  MauritaniaPresidentMohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
31.  MauritiusPrime MinisterNavin Ramgoolam
32.  MoroccoKingMohammed VI
33.  MozambiquePresidentArmando Guebuza
34.  NamibiaPresidentHifikepunye Pohamba
35.  NigerPresidentMahamadou Issoufou
36.  NigeriaPresidentMuhammadu Buhari
37.  RwandaPresidentPaul Kagame
38.  São Tomé and PríncipePrime MinisterGabriel Costa
39.  SenegalPresidentMacky Sall
40.  SeychellesPresidentJames Michel
41.  Sierra LeoneForeign MinisterSamura Kamara
42.  SomaliaPresidentHassan Sheikh Mohamud
43.  South AfricaPresidentJacob Zuma
44.  South SudanPresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit
45.  SudanPresidentOmar Hassan Ahamed Albashir
46.  EswatiniKingMswati III
47.  TanzaniaPresidentJakaya Kikwete
48.  TogoPresidentFaure Gnassingbe
49.  TunisiaForeign MinisterTaïeb Baccouche
50.  UgandaPresidentYoweri Museveni
51.  ZambiaActing PresidentGuy Scott

References
  1. "Biggest diplomatic event: India-Africa summit from October 26".
  2. "Narendra Modi government pulls out all stops to host the first all-Africa Summit in India". The Economic Times. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  3. "Ebola Scare Pushes India-Africa Summit to 2015". The New Indian Express. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. "MEA Overdrive to Ensure India-Africa Summit a Success". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. "India-Africa Summit: 50 African leaders set to attend". Business Standard. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  6. "Proud, bold and on the prowl - the India-Africa Forum Summit lion". Business Standard. 13 August 2015.
  7. "Laser show planned at India Gate in October". The Times of India. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  8. "35 of 54 heads of state to attend India-Africa summit". The Times of India. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
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