Ebola Concerns Push India-Africa Summit in New Delhi

India and the African Union have decided to postpone the India-Africa Forum summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from May 28 to 31, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday. Though no official reason has been cited for postponing the summit, it is learnt that spread of Ebola virus in Africa was the reason for the decision. The new dates for the summit and its associated meetings will be finalised through mutual consultations, the MEA said.There has been an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and it has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over 136 people were reportedly killed in view of the outbreak in the African nation so far.India

had planned to unveil an ambitious roadmap to further solidify its ties with the African continent at the upcoming summit. Top leaders from several African nations had already confirmed their participation at the gathering. The last India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) was hosted in New Delhi in October 2015.India and the African Union exchanged views on the "evolving health situation" in parts of Africa and reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation in strengthening public health preparedness and response capacities across the continent including through support to Africa CDC and relevant national institutions, the MEA said.The Africa CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) is a continental autonomous health agency of the African Union.The MEA said India reaffirmed its solidarity with the peoples and governments of Africa and expressed its readiness to contribute to Africa CDC-led efforts aimed at addressing the evolving health situation."Recognising the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders, and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent, consultations were held between the government of India, the Chairperson of the African Union, and the African Union Commission regarding the holding of the summit and associated activities," it said."Following these consultations, the two sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit at a later date," the MEA said in a statement. The upcoming summit was aimed at imparting transformational changes in the India-African relations.India's policy approach for development partnership with the African continent has been guided by African priorities and local ownership. New Delhi has also been focusing on boosting its presence in the African continent.Since 2018, India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa by opening 17 new missions taking the total number to 46.