India Countering China In Horn Of Africa – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

Q) Which of the countries of Horn of Africa is land-locked?

1. Eritrea
2. Djibouti
3. Ethiopia
4. Somalia

• India recently sent
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Airavat from Mumbai carrying much-needed food assistance for four countries Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea located in Africa.
• INS Airavat will ferry a total of 270 Metric Tonnes of food including 155 MT of wheat flour, 65 MT of rice and 50 MT of sugar.
• During the visit, INS Airavat will also make port calls at

1. Djibouti
2. Massawa (in Eritrea)
3. Port Sudan (in Sudan)
4. Mombasa (in Kenya)

• “Mission SAGAR- Security and Growth for All in the Region”
• INS Kesari deployed during covid19 lockdown on a special ‘COVID Relief Mission’ carrying 580 tons of food aid and essential medical stores including Ayurvedic medicines to Male (Maldives), Port Louis (Mauritius), Antsiranana (Madagascar), Moroni (Comoros Islands) and Port Victoria (Seychelles).

Previous disaster relief efforts

• Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ in January 2020 to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to cyclone Diane hit Madagascar
• launched to assist Mozambique (in 2019)
• Operation Sahayata – Cyclone Idai
• Both these latest missions underline India’s growing capability and willingness to undertake naval missions and support regional countries
• India one of the largest contributor of UN peace-keeping forces in African countries such as Congo, South Sudan, Mali etc
• Indian Navy has often participated in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia

• Growing strategic importance of the greater Horn of Africa
• The region lying between Suez Canal and the Seychelles has emerged as a new geopolitical hotspot
• The straits of Bab el-Mandeb along with the Suez Canal, is considered a jugular vein for global trade.
• US, China, France and Japan maintain a military base in Djibouti
• Russia is also interest in opening a base in the Red Sea region (preferably in Sudan)
• European powers like Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy have been deploying their military units in and around Djibouti for anti-piracy as well as counter-terror operations.
• Sudan’s recognition of Israel
• Growing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over the issue of sharing Nile waters
• Since 2008, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has been present in the region under the pretext of conducting anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.
• In fact, it has even sent nuclear submarines to the region and has also conducted naval exercises with the navies of Russia and Iran
• China enjoys strong relationships with states like Sudan and South Sudan, built over the last 20 years, due to its massive investments in their oil industry.
• China has built large infrastructure projects in the Horn of Africa, including the modern railway line connecting land-locked Ethiopia with the port of Djibouti
• Since 2017, India has opened embassies in Djibouti and Eritrea and Indian President Ramnath Kovind has also made a state visit to Djibouti and Ethiopia.
• India has bolstered defence cooperation with Oman (Duqm island) and France (Reunion island)
• India has also sought to open a military base in the Seychelles (Assumption island)

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!