At UN, India highlights links with Africa

In her first speech in the ongoing 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly, India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj choose to highlight India's links with Africa and linkages between the Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, Sushma Swaraj said,"India cherishes its special relationship and longstanding partnership with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi - Father of our Nation. "

Nelson Mandela Peace Summit was held in honour of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela in New York and was attended by a large number of world leaders.

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Emphasising on the commonalities between the twoleaders, minister Swaraj said,"both of them led their peoples to freedom through mass peaceful struggles. They made all efforts to overcome the divisive and narrow identity politics to turn diversity of a society into its strength, instead of a weakness."

India has been in the past few years tried to reaffirm her ties with the African continent and a number of high-level visits have taken from India including that of the President and Prime minister. Recently the cabinet approved the opening of 18 new Indian missions in Africa by 2021. India has 29 resident missions in Africa. The 3rd India-Africa Forum summit took place in 2015 and was called as India's biggest diplomatic outreach to African nations.

Paying tributes to Mandela, the minister said,"The values espoused by him – forgiveness and compassion as well as inclusiveness of society - are needed now, more than ever, in these turbulent times around the world. We, Indians, consider Madiba to be one of our own."

Mandela was one of the only twonon-Indians who has ever been conferred with Bharat Ratna, the other being Pakistani national Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Madiba, as he was popularly called, was conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1990.

Minister also used the occasion to raise the issue of terror and without taking any name said, "no one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration."

India is expected to strongly raise the issue of terror at the world body this year. India has been calling for a common definition of terror through the comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

It will be a busy week for EAM Sushma at the UNGA with over 30 bilaterals and participation in various meets of groups such as BRICS, SAARC.