India’s EAM Jaishankar Undertakes Three-Country Tour of Africa
Boost India-Africa Ties
India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar concluded a five-day, three-nation diplomatic tour of Africa from October 6 to October 10, 2026. The itinerary took Jaishankar to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia. India explored areas of cooperation that included agribusiness, trade, investment, technology, and security, while taking into consideration the priorities of Africa and championing the interests of the #GlobalSouth at large.
It is to be recalled that the India-Africa relationship remains guided by the Kampala Principles enunciated by India’s Prime Minister Modi during his address to the Ugandan Parliament in 2018.
Ghana (6-7 Oct)
BRICS Membership Support: Ghana formally announced its decision to apply for #BRICS membership and sought India’s backing. Jaishankar expressed India’s support while noting that new entries depend on consensus across the bloc.
Bilateral Agreements: Two key agreements were signed to boost institutional research: one connecting the Zoological Survey of India with the University of Ghana, and another linking the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Crops Research Institute (CSRI-CRI).
Global South Engagement: Jaishankar addressed the Ghana Foreign Service Institute on “India, Ghana and the Global South” and received Ghana’s Instrument of Acceptance for the International Big Cat Alliance.
Côte d’Ivoire (7–8 Oct)
High-Level Diplomacy: Jaishankar held talks with President Alassane Ouattara, Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara, and Foreign Minister Nialé Kaba.
Defence & Counter-Terrorism: Discussions focused heavily on expanding the growing defence and security partnership, including military training and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Economic Boost: Both sides reviewed economic ties, noting that bilateral trade exceeds USD 1.5 billion, and explored expanding this via local manufacturing and agro-processing investments.
Ethiopia (8-10 Oct)
Leadership Meetings: Jaishankar met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to deliver a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulate him on his re-election. Jaishankar also held meetings with his counterpart Gedion Timotheus and Ethiopian Investments Holdings CEO Brook Taye.
Technology & Health Frontiers: With Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheus, agreements were made to deepen ties in AI, public digital infrastructure (“India Stack”), space, and drones. India also committed to hosting its next prosthetic limb camp in Jaipur, Ethiopia. While in Addis Ababa, Jaishankar visited the AI Institute and noted that India and the African Union saw eye-to-eye when it comes to promoting #AI4All, while leaving no country behind.
4th India-Africa Forum Summit
While in Addis Ababa, Jaishankar chaired a Heads of Mission Conference in the Africa Region, bringing together Indian ambassadors stationed in countries around Africa to synchronize the India-Africa outreach and coordinate the execution of the Africa Forward Initiative (#AFI) and the #MAHASAGAR vision.
At the People-to-People (#P2P) level, Jaishankar took the opportunity during his visit to engage with the Indian Diaspora. He called upon the Indian community and alumni from Indian educational institutions in African countries to act as a bridge to promote exchanges and strengthen ties.
Originally scheduled to take place in May 2026, the India-Africa Forum Summit (#IAFS2026) had to be postponed due to the Ebola outbreak. Possible new dates were floated, and the final date will be announced in due course after more consultations.