Uri attack: India steps up engagements with OIC countries to isolate Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Stepping up engagement with Organisatoion of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries amid attempts to isolate Pakistan by building counter-terror narrative Vice President Hamid Ansari will undertake visits to Nigeria and Mali this month and Algeria in October.

These visits have also gained significance in the backdrop of terror attack on the Army camp in Uri which the Modi government has blamed on Pakistan and would enable India to make a stronger argument against cross-border terror. All these three countries. members of OIC, are also victims of international terror. Earlier senior Indian diplomats engaged with key OIC states in Southeast Asia as well as Niger in Africa.

Oil-rich Nigeria is a key player in Africa and traditional partner for Delhi in western part of that continent. Three former Army chiefs cum Presidents of Nigeria including the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari have studied in Indian defence academies. A visit to Nigeria was in the offing amid the BJP-led NDA government’s outreach to Africa beginning with mega India-Africa Summit here. Both India and Nigeria are hoping to put in place a wide-ranging security and economic partnership. India imports around 8% to 12% of its crude requirements from Nigeria.

India’s goodwill in Nigeria can be gauged from the fact a generation of Nigerians today in their forties to sixties have been taught by Indian teachers, treated by Indian doctors and have grown watching Indian movies. But this Western African country has been a victim of Al Qaeda sponsored terror.

India’s ties with sub-Saharan country Mali which has been victim of terror attacks is growing. It may be recalled that Indians were caught amid a terror attack at a top hotel in Bamako but later evacuated safely. During the political and security crisis in Mali and consequent upon a military coup in March 2012, India strongly supported efforts for restoration of constitutional order in Mali and preservation of its territorial integrity. India also contributed US$ 1 million for strengthening of Malian forces.

While it has connected with all other Arab speaking North African nations the Modi government now wants to connect with oil-rich Algeria, biggest country in Africa in terms of geography. It is not widely known that Algiers has lukewarm ties with Pakistan in the backdrop of ISI’s alleged linkages with the terror group Islamic Salvation Front (ISF). Algerian armed forces battled ISF for close to a decade beginning 1990. Members of ISF have had links of fighting in Afghan theater.

Ansari had already undertaken a trip to Africa earlier this year when he went to Morocco and Tunisia. This was followed by President’s three-nation trip and PM’s four-nation visit to the continent besides visit by Egyptian President here.