NEW DELHI: The much-delayed 4th India-Africa summit, which India was scheduled to host from May 28 to 31, was postponed on Thursday due to the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although not yet a global pandemic, the risk posed by the virus led the World Health Organization to declare a health emergency of international concern earlier this week.
Joint Decision and Previous Delay
Both sides announced the postponement in a joint press release, taking into account the emerging public health situation in Africa. This marks the second time an Ebola outbreak has caused the summit to be postponed. The last summit hosted by India was originally scheduled for December 2014 but took place only 10 months later for the same reason.
Official Statement
“Recognising the importance of ensuring 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,” said the press release.
“Both sides agreed that it would be advisable to convene the summit at a later date,” it added. The government stated that fresh dates will be finalized through mutual consultations and communicated in due course.
Expected Announcements and India’s Support
The summit was expected to feature major announcements by India to ramp up development aid for Africa, including the $10 billion concessional line of credit announced by the government for the continent in 2015, the last time India hosted the summit. India reaffirmed its solidarity with Africa in the press release, expressing its readiness to contribute to Africa CDC-led efforts to address the evolving health situation, in line with the shared commitment to an Africa-led response.
