Opinion | Resilience & Reach: PM Modi's Meeting With Angola's President Signals Unwavering Africa Focus Post-Pahalgam Attack
India and Angola are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring a consistent foreign policy
The current visit of Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to India holds significant weight. His discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 3 focused on strengthening bilateral ties; however, the visit’s timing is crucial. It is the first state visit hosted by India after the Pahalgam attack, where 26 tourists in Kashmir were gunned down by Islamic terrorists on April 22.
The visit shows that even in the face of tremendous fear and stress from domestic instability, New Delhi’s diplomatic outreach is steady and resilient, especially towards Africa. India and Angola are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring a consistent foreign policy. India’s focus on Africa is deeply tied to its broader ambitions as a leader of the Global South, and it significantly bolstered this role recently by facilitating the African Union’s entry into the G20.
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Standing strong
It is the first Angolan presidential visit in 38 years, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Its timing underscores a crucial aspect of India’s foreign policy: diplomatic resilience and an unwavering, strategic commitment to Africa.
Since 2014, Prime Minister Modi’s government has clearly prioritised India-Africa relations. Ties have consistently strengthened. This commitment is shown through tangible actions, not just words. India significantly expanded its diplomatic presence across Africa; 18 of the 25 new embassies and consulates opened globally in the last nine years are in Africa. Platforms like the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) have been institutionalised. Furthermore, consistent high-level engagements continue, such as the recent visit to Nigeria—the first by an Indian PM in 17 years—reflecting sustained outreach.
Lourenço’s visit slots neatly into India’s carefully cultivated role as a leading voice and partner for the Global South. This consistent engagement also emphasises India’s role as a Vishwa Mitra championing the concerns of the developing world. Facilitating the African Union’s (AU) G20 membership was a key achievement. Hosting Lourenço reinforces India’s commitment. It aims to translate that G20 inclusion into tangible, deeper partnerships, both bilaterally and continent-wide.
Deepening India-Angola ties
The visit marks a 40th-anniversary milestone. Lourenço has arrived with a high-level delegation, including ministers and business leaders. Several agreements are expected, aiming to boost bilateral cooperation across various fields.
According to official diplomatic readings, a “vibrant energy partnership" is central to India-Angola ties. India relies heavily on imported energy. Approximately 85% of its crude oil and 55% of its natural gas arrive via vulnerable sea lines of communication (SLOCs). Securing reliable energy partners like Angola is therefore paramount. It is essential for India’s economic ambitions, including the goal of reaching a $5 trillion economy, and Angola can help India do just that.
The economic relationship also shows potential beyond energy. Bilateral trade surpassed four billion dollars in 2023-2024. Growth and diversification have been objectives driving trade. India seeks to diversify export markets, finding new opportunities in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere, reducing dependency and enhancing economic resilience.
Discussions will also cover expanding the development partnership, capacity-building cooperation, and the defence relationship. It has been India’s go-to approach across Africa. India emphasises empowerment through training, like the ITEC programme, which has benefited thousands in Nigeria. Continent-wide concessional lines of credit (LOCs) fund development projects, avoiding predatory conditions, unlike China. Angola’s support for India’s candidature in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, further solidifies its importance as a reliable partner.
Africa in India’s broader geostrategic calculus
The engagement with Angola is not an isolated event but rather a reflection of India’s consistent, continent-wide Africa strategy under Prime Minister Modi. This strategy is comprehensive, multi-layered, and increasingly visible.
Africa figures prominently in India’s strategic thinking for several reasons. The continent holds vast mineral and energy resources. It represents a significant, growing market driven by favourable demographics. It carries increasing diplomatic weight in multilateral forums and is crucial for India’s own aspirations, such as gaining a permanent UN Security Council seat.
India’s engagement model deliberately offers an alternative to other global powers, notably China. New Delhi stresses partnerships built on “sovereign equality and mutual respect". It explicitly rejects client-state dynamics. It also counters the “debt-trapping" practices sometimes associated with initiatives like China’s Belt and Road. India’s approach is backed by substantial development assistance. This includes over $12 billion in LOCs to 42 African nations in the last decade. Support extends to digital public infrastructure via initiatives like the Pan-African e-Network and broad capacity building.
Diplomatically, India has significantly expanded its presence, opening 18 new embassies and consulates in Africa over the past nine years, facilitating more robust engagement. High-level interactions, including numerous visits by the Prime Minister and the hosting of over 100 African leaders between 2015 and 2022, have maintained political momentum.
Defence and security cooperation form another vital pillar. Initiatives like the AIKEYME naval exercise tackle African maritime security challenges, including piracy and smuggling. Support for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through radar networks helps secure sea lanes. These actions directly contribute to India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
Securing the vital SLOCs through the Indian Ocean Region, touching African shores, is fundamental. Engaging partners like Angola, alongside developing strategic access points like Duqm and Agalega, will help maintain regional stability and protect India’s economic lifelines. India is also emerging as a significant defence exporter, and its burgeoning defence industry views Africa as a key market.
Conclusion: An enduring partnership
The meeting between Modi and Lourenço shows Africa’s indispensable role in Indian foreign policy. It symbolises the consistency and stability needed during such unstable and turbulent domestic times. The relationship itself is driven by multiple factors: securing energy and economic interests; fostering respectful development partnerships; building security alliances for shared maritime challenges; and counterbalancing rival powers. But, in addition and most importantly, it is driven by mutual respect and a shared history, a commitment to South-South cooperation, and a vision for a multipolar world where Africa takes its rightful place.
Yes, India pursues its national interests while also solidifying its role. However, it also stands as a steadfast and indispensable partner in Africa’s journey towards stability and prosperity. The course remains set: India’s destiny is intimately linked with Africa’s.
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