 "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, shares a light moment with African Union Chairman and President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention centre for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India. AP")
At the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally announced the inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20).
“Thrilled to have the African Union as a permanent member. A milestone for the G20 family indeed,” the Prime Minister said.
Notably, this also marks the first expansion of the group since its formation with 20 major economies in 1999.
Let’s take a closer look.
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G20 could be renamed G21
The 72-year-old Indian leader invited the head of the African Union, who is also the President of the Union of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, to take his seat as the permanent member of one of the main forums of global economic cooperation.
“India put a proposal to give permanent membership of G20 to the African Union. I believe that we have everyone’s agreement on this,” PM Modi said, kicking off the summit and extending the invitation to the African Union.
With an embrace after the announcement, PM Modi welcomed AU chairperson Assoumani and offered him a place at the conference table for permanent members of the G20.
The 55-member bloc of African nations will now get the same status as the European Union, the only regional organisation with full membership.
According to news agency PTI, the group is now likely to be rechristened as the “G21.”
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India’s push for AU
New Delhi stated that the G20 should serve the interests of the Global South throughout its entire G20 Presidency. It was listed as one of the major outcomes of the G20 Summit by the Union’s Ministry of External Affairs.
“For a G20, which is more inclusive and more vocal for the Global South! PM Narendra Modi warmly invites the President of the African Union and Comoros Azali Assoumani to join other G20 leaders as the African Union becomes a permanent member of the G20. A key outcome of G20 India,” the external affairs ministry said.
On Thursday, the Indian premier wrote in an article published saying, “Our presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.”
In an interview with news agency PTI, he came out strongly in favour of the African Union gaining full membership of the G20.
“Our affinity to Africa is natural. We have had millennia-old cultural and commerce ties with Africa. We have a shared history of movements against colonialism. As a youthful and aspirational nation ourselves, we also relate to the people of Africa and their aspirations. In the last few years, this relationship has got even stronger,” PM Modi said.
He added that Africa was a “top priority” within the G20 and pointed out that holding the Voice of the Global South summit, which had enthusiastic participation from Africa, was one of the first things India did during its presidency.
AU – The World’s Future Story
The African Union has advocated for full membership for seven years, spokesperson Ebba Kalondo said. Until now, South Africa was the bloc’s only G20 member.
Permanent G20 membership signals the rise of a continent whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the planet’s people.
The AU’s 55 member states, which include the disputed Western Sahara, together make them the 11th biggest economy in the world, according to Financial Express.
According to The Associated Press, the continent has pressed for meaningful roles in the global bodies that long represented a now faded post-World War II order, including the United Nations Security Council. They also want reforms to the global financial system – including the World Bank and other entities – that forces African countries to pay more than others to borrow money, deepening their debt.
Beyond the United States and the continent’s historical European colonisers, a new generation of global powers is rapidly pursuing Africa for political and financial support. China is Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders. Russia is its leading arms provider. Turkey’s largest overseas military base and embassy are based in Somalia. Israel and Iran are increasing their outreach in search of partners, as per AP.
African leaders have strongly contested the narrative that the continent is a helpless victim of conflict, extremism, famine, and natural disasters that is forced to choose a side between competing global powers. As evidenced by African peace initiatives in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some people would prefer to act as middlemen.
Granting the African Union membership in the G20 is a step that recognises the continent as a global power in itself.
With inputs from agencies