Africa and World Happiness Report

 The Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford published the World Happiness Report 2025.  The focus of this year's report is the impact of caring and sharing on people's happiness.  It includes factors such as giving money to charity, volunteering, and helping strangers.  It tries to measure the degree of benevolence in each of the 147 countries that it evaluates.  

The five highest ranked African countries are Mauritius (78), Libya (79), Algeria (84), South Africa (95), and Mozambique (96). Seven of the ten lowest ranked countries are in Africa: Lesotho (138), Comoros (139), DRC (141), Botswana (142), Zimbabwe (143), Malawi (144), and Sierra Leone (146).

China-India Competition in the Western Indian Ocean

 Stimson published on 20 August 2025 a commentary titled "India Must Level Up to Compete with China in the Western Indian Ocean" by Radhey Tambi.

The author argues that India is falling behind China's influence in the Western Indian Ocean and needs to step up its diplomatic, political, institutional, military, economic, and soft power engagement with the island countries if it intends to compete with Beijing.  

Contest for the Indian Ocean

 The July 2025 issue of Asia Policy contains a book review roundtable of Darshana M. Baruah's book titled The Contest for the Indian Ocean and the Making of a New World Order (Yale University Press 2024).  The focus of the book is great power competition and the role of the island countries in the Indian Ocean.

The roundtable consists of the following brief discussions:

--Power Asymmetry and Competition in the Indo-Pacific: The Island States of the Indian Ocean by Frederic Grare.

--Prioritizing the Indian Ocean in the Indo-Pacific by Nilanthi Samaranayake.

--The Agency of Island States in the Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean by Isabelle Saint-Mezard.

--The Island States Have Agency in the Contest for the Indian Ocean--But How? by Pradeep Taneja.

--Opening, Broadening, and Deepening the 'Geo' in the Geoppolitics of the Indian Ocean by Sanjay Chaturvedi.

--Author's Response: Reframing the Indian Ocean Debate by Darshana M. Baruah.

China's PLA Troops March in Comoros Independence Day Ceremony

 China Military Online published on 7 July 2025 an article titled "PLA Support Base in Djibouti Participates in 50th Anniversary of Comoros' Independence" by Wang Zongyang and Dong Mingli.

Following its participation in Madagascar's Independence Day celebration (see 4 July below), a unit of PLA troops from China's military base in Djibouti repeated the performance on 7 July at the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Comoro Islands.  On this occasion, they joined marching units from Tanzania and Morocco.

Comment:  This is another example of PLA military diplomacy in the Indian Ocean region.  

India Hosts Joint Naval Exercise with Africans to Counter China

 Iglobalnews.com posted on 14 April 2025 an article titled "Indian Navy Conducts Historic Joint Exercise in Africa."

Three Indian naval vessels joined four from Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on 13 April as part of a two-phase joint exercise that includes participants from Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and South Africa.  Phase one includes table-top and command post exercises in Dar es Salaam focused on anti-piracy and information building.  The sea phase will focus on strengthening maritime security cooperation.  Officers and sailors from the 10 countries will spend 35 days together on one of the Indian ships to learn each other's best practices.  

Comment:  The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, earlier told the Polish Press Agency that "these maneuvers aim to counter China's growing influence in the region."

Illegal Fishing on Chinese Vessels in African Waters of Southwest Indian Ocean

 The London-based Environmental Justice Foundation published in April 2024 a report titled "Tide of Injustice: Exploitation and Illegal Fishing on Chinese Vessels in the Southwest Indian Ocean."

China's distant-water fleet (DWF) is by far the world's largest.  This report maps the presence and activities of the Chinese DWF in the Southwest Indian Ocean, which includes the exclusive economic zones of the coastal states Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique and the Indian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.  Illegal fishing and human rights abuses were found to be commonplace on Chinese vessels throughout the region.

Chinese vessels were linked to 86 unique cases (relating to 177 suspected or confirmed offences) of illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing or human rights abuses within the Southwest Indian Ocean region between 2017 and 2023.  

China Should Pay Attention to Africa's Year of Elections

 The Ghana-based Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory published in April 2024 a commentary titled "The Year of African Elections & Why China Should Not Lose Sight" by Hagan Sibiri.

In 2024, 25 African countries are scheduled for presidential, general, or local elections; 19 are presidential or general.  The author warns that Chinese policymakers should not overlook growing dynamics in African domestic politics and the potential ramifications of African elections on future interaction with China.

Any perception held by Chinese policymakers that Africa constitutes a relatively cohesive coalition in its partnership with China should be reevaluated as it risks overlooking the growing concerns toward Chinese partnerships in numerous African countries.  Given the rising manifestation of anti-Chinese sentiment across Africa, the outcomes of African elections should interest Chinese policymakers in terms of how they may shape China's relations with the continent moving forward.  

China Steps Up Influence in Western Indian Ocean

 The Australian Institute of International Affairs posted on 16 October 2023 a commentary titled "China's Western Indian Ocean Step Up" by Kate O'Shaughnessy, Perth USAsia Centre and former Australian high commissioner to Mauritius and Seychelles and ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros.

China has been steadily building its presence in the Western Indian Ocean.  Beijing has the largest diplomatic presence in Seychelles and is the largest foreign donor in the Comoros.  France and India are watching this development with concern.  

Russia Reportedly Snubs African Peace Delegation

 The Washington Post published on 21 June 2023 an article titled "African Leaders Visited with a Peace Plan, Putin Showed Little Interest" by Robyn Dixon.  

African leaders led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presented a 10-point peace plan for ending the conflict in Ukraine to Presidents Putin and Zelensky.  The delegation received little encouragement from either president but reportedly interpreted Putin's response as a huge snub.  

Key Players in the Indian Ocean Region

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published in June 2023 a major study titled "Mapping the Indian Ocean Region" by Darshana M. Baruah, Nitya Labh, and Jessica Greely.

The study treats the Indian Ocean region as one continuous theater and looks at the major players, security challenges, and other factors that shape the region.  It demonstrates how the Indian Ocean's economic, political, military, and geographic features interact to create a single geopolitical arena.  

Coincidentally, the U.S. Department of State posted on 30 May 2023 a fact sheet titled "U.S. Relationship with the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Commitment to the Indian Ocean Region."

The release of the fact sheet was tied to the reopening after 27 years of the U.S. embassy in the Seychelles and the visit to Seychelles, Mauritius, and Comoros by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma.

India Confronts China's Disinformation in Western Indian Ocean

 The Australian Strategic Policy Institute published on 3 May 2023 a commentary titled "India's Battle over Disinformation in the Indian Ocean" by Kate O'Shaughnessy.  

The commentary looks at China's role in shaping public opinion in the Western Indian Ocean and argues that countries like India and Australia need to take stronger measures to correct misinformation and disinformation.  

Will Comoros Be China's Next Djibouti?

 Dryad Global published on 10 June 2022 an article titled "Will Comoros Be China's Next 'Djibouti' in Indian Ocean Region?" by Bharat Shakti.  

The author concludes that China could be the Comoro Islands preferred partner for strategic port development and there is a real possibility of the Comoros emerging as the next "Djibouti" in the Indian Ocean.  In Beijing's calculus, the impoverished but geographically blessed Comoros fit the bill as a valuable strategic partner.   

Only Ten African States Vote to Expel Russia from UN Human Rights Council

 The UN General Assembly voted on 7 April 2022 to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council because of its human rights abuses in Ukraine.  The vote was 93 in favor, 24 opposed, 58 abstaining, and the remainder not voting.  

Only ten (Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sierra Leone) of Africa's fifty-four countries voted to expel Russia.  Nine (Algeria, Burundi, CAR, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, and Zimbabwe) voted alongside Russia in a failed effort to defeat the resolution.  The two major surprises opposing the resolution were Ethiopia and Gabon.  Twenty-four African states abstained and eleven did not vote.  

China's Role in Debt Service of African Countries

 The Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan University in Shanghai published on 21 March 2022 a study titled "Brief: China's Role in Public External Debt in DSSI Countries and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2020" by Mengdi Yue and Christoph Nedopil Wang.  

The study looks at 68 countries, most of them in Africa, eligible under the debt service suspension initiative (DSSI).  It is estimated that 26 percent of the total debt service paid by the 68 DSSI countries in 2022 would go to China, compared to 17 percent to bondholders and 9 percent to the World Bank-IDA.

The five countries experiencing the highest percentage change in outstanding public external debt to China between 2019 and 2020 were Guinea (95 %), Lesotho (60 %), Burkina Faso (55 %), Sierra Leone (43 %) and Rwanda (33 %).  

Wang Yi's Trip to Eastern Africa

 University of Adelaide posted on 24 January 2022 a commentary titled "Foreign Minister Wang Yi Makes a 9th 'First Trip of the Year' to Africa" by Lauren A. Johnston.  

The commentary discusses the rationale behind Foreign Minister Wang Yi's January visit to Eritrea, Kenya, and the Comoro Islands.  

China Plays the Long Game in Africa

 The Indian Express published on 13 January 2022 an article titled "Strategy and Ambition: In Wang Yi Visit, China's Long Africa Game."

The article reports on the recent visit to Eritrea, Kenya, and the Comoro Islands by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, concluding that China is playing the long game in Africa.  

China and African Debt Repayment

 Panda Paw Dragon Claw posted on 11 January 2021 an analysis titled "Debt Repayment Issues in Highly-indebted BRI Countries: Risks and Opportunities in the New Year" by Christoph Nedopil and Mengdi Yue.  

China has become the world's largest bilateral creditor.  China still lacks a published strategy to deal with the debt issue holistically and together with other creditors.  This analysis identifies ten countries that have become especially vulnerable because they must pay 25 percent to 75 percent of their total debt service to China between 2021 and 2024.  Four of the ten are in Africa: Djibouti, Republic of Congo, Angola, and Comoros.  

China Close to Eliminating Malaria in Comoro Islands

 The China Africa Project posted on 18 September 2020 a report titled "Combatting Malaria in the Comoros Islands: How China Almost Got It Right" by Esther Ejiroghene Ajari, director of The TriHealthon, a youth-led nonprofit promoting health equity in Africa.  

Seven years after beginning a project to eliminate malaria from the three islands comprising the Comoro Islands, Moheli and Anjouan have been declared malaria-free.  The project is ongoing on Grand Comore.  The project is widely regarded as China's most successful health project in Africa.  There has been a controversy over the medication, Artequick, used to eliminate malaria.  Although approved by health agencies in China and the Comoros, it has not yet received certification by the World Health Organization.

40 African States Sign Belt and Road MOUs with China

Quartz Africa published on 30 September 2019 an article titled "These Are the African Countries Not Signed To China's Belt and Road Project" by Abdi Latif Dahir.

Forty African countries have signed a Belt and Road Initiative MOU with China. The following fourteen countries have for various reasons not signed an MOU: Eritrea, Mauritius, DRC, CAR, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, eSwatini, Botswana, Sao Tome and Principe, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Lesotho, Guinea Bissau, and Malawi.

Is China Bringing US and India Together in Indian Ocean?

Foreign Policy published on 2 May 2016 a commentary titled "Spooked by Beijing, India Embraces Closer U.S. Ties" by Keith Johnson and Dan De Luce.

The commentary was sparked by the April visit to India by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. It suggests that China's growing naval activity in the Indian Ocean is resulting in closer security cooperation between the United States and India.