Latest news with #Nkrumah
Hans India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
PM's Ghana visit a boost to Global South outreach initiative
The salience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ghana has unfolded along expected lines, marking another step in India's sustained outreach to the Global South. In an era where India is actively recalibrating its foreign policy, Modi's visit reaffirms New Delhi's commitment to the principle of strategic autonomy while strengthening ties with Africa, a continent increasingly pivotal to the evolving global order. This is Modi's first bilateral visit to Ghana and, notably, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the west African nation in over three decades. The significance of this trip transcends ceremonial optics; it signals India's intent to forge deeper partnerships beyond traditional allies, as the country positions itself as a credible and independent player in a multipolar world. Addressing Ghana's Parliament, Modi underscored the rapid changes sweeping the global landscape. He argued that the post-World War II global order is becoming obsolete, unable to sufficiently address the emerging realities shaped by technology, the growing influence of the Global South, and shifting demographic patterns. In this context, he emphasised the urgent need for 'credible and effective reforms in global governance' to ensure that the institutions guiding international relations are more inclusive and reflective of contemporary power structures. Modi announced that India has decided to elevate its relationship with Ghana to a 'comprehensive partnership,' signaling an expansion of cooperation beyond trade and investment into areas such as technology, education, defence, and sustainable development. He affirmed India's support for Africa's indigenous development frameworks, asserting that India would work alongside African nations to craft a future anchored in mutual growth and shared prosperity. Earlier in the day, Modi paid homage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which commemorates Ghana's founding president and a towering figure in Africa's struggle for independence. Nkrumah was also a prominent advocate of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a platform that India historically championed during the Cold War to maintain strategic distance from both the US and Soviet power blocs. The reference to Nkrumah and the NAM legacy is telling. India's modern foreign policy discourse, particularly under Modi, has sought to move beyond the passive equidistance of the original NAM. Instead, New Delhi has articulated a vision of strategic autonomy—the freedom to pursue national interests without being subsumed into rigid alliance structures. However, as India's diplomatic engagements with the Global South deepen, a cautionary note is warranted. While outreach to the Global South is both necessary and commendable, Modi must avoid inadvertently endorsing a regressive interpretation of strategic autonomy that resembles Non-Alignment 2.0. The original NAM framework often slid into a posture of moralistic aloofness and anti-Western positions, limiting India's ability to decisively shape global events. Today's world is vastly different. It is defined by complex interdependencies, fluid alliances, and multifaceted threats such as climate change, cybersecurity, pandemics and shifting trade regimes. In this context, strategic autonomy must evolve from the earlier doctrine of non-alignment into a more assertive, interest-driven, and partnership-oriented approach. India cannot afford to be seen as disengaged or hesitant on the world stage, particularly when it aspires to become a key shaper of the global agenda. For India to truly seize the moment, strategic autonomy must be reinterpreted as purposeful and agile diplomacy rather than as a revival of the non-alignment playbook of the past.
United News of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
PM Modi pays homage at mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding president
Accra/New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage at the mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding president and a revered leader of the African independence movement, in Modi said in a post on X: 'In Accra, paid homage to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was a visionary statesman whose thoughts and ideals guide several people. He devoted himself towards the well-being of people of Ghana.'The MEA spokesperson said in a post: 'Honouring Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's lasting contributions to freedom, unity and social justice.'PM @narendramodi accompanied by Vice President Prof. @NJOAgyemang visited the Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, Ghana. PM paid tribute to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's founding President and a revered leader of the African independence movement.'Kwame Nkrumah was a prominent Pan-African organizer whose radical vision and bold leadership helped lead Ghana to independence in 1957. Kwame Nkrumah was the first prime minister of Ghana (former British Gold Coast colony and British Togoland) at independence in 1957. He later became the first president of Ghana as a Republic in 1960. In 1960, Nkrumah became Ghana's first president as a republic, and by 1961, he nationalized the major agricultural export trade of the country – the cocoa trade. He focused on industrialization, introduced socialist policies, and was instrumental in establishing the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, in an attempt to foster the unity of the African continent. Nkrumah also prioritized education. Nkrumah is widely remembered and celebrated as an iconic symbol and pioneer of the Pan-African struggles for the liberation of Africa. Nkrumah served as an inspiration to Martin Luther King, who often looked to Nkrumah's leadership as an example of nonviolent activism. UNI RN
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Watch: PM Modi mentions India has 2,500 parties in Ghana Parliament. Then this happens
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the Parliament of Ghana during his state visit, drawing applause and smiles when he said that India has over 2,500 political parties. The comment came as part of a broader speech on India's democratic values and cultural diversity. 'India is the mother of democracy. For us, democracy is not merely a system; it is a part of our fundamental values from thousands of years ago,' Modi said. Referring to ancient traditions, he added, 'The Rig Veda says: Ano bhadraha kratavo yantu Vishwatah – let good thoughts come to us from all directions. This openness to ideas is the core of democracy.' PM Modi highlighted India's diversity and said, 'India has over 2,500 political parties. I repeat, 2,500 political parties. 20 different parties govern different states. We have 22 official languages and thousands of dialects. This is also the reason that people who came to India have always been welcomed with open hearts.' The moment captured on video showed Ghanaian MPs reacting with smile, surprise and applause at the sheer scale of India's political plurality. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra and paid floral tribute to Ghana's founding President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Accompanied by Vice President Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, he observed a moment of silence at the mausoleum dedicated to Nkrumah and his wife Fathia. 'Dr Nkrumah was a towering figure of Africa's liberation and unity. This tribute reflects India's deep respect for Ghana's history and shared commitment to freedom and justice,' Modi said. During the visit, PM Modi was conferred with The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the country's highest civilian award, by President John Mahama. Calling it a 'matter of immense pride,' Modi thanked the government and people of Ghana and dedicated the honour to the youth of both nations. 'I humbly accept this award on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians. I dedicate this to the aspirations of our youth, our rich cultural diversity, and the historic ties between India and Ghana,' he said. PM Modi's visit — the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over three decades — marks a significant moment in India-Africa relations. In talks with President Mahama, the two leaders agreed to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Partnership, focusing on trade, education, defence, and digital development.
AllAfrica
03-07-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
India and Ghana: Narendra Modi's visit rekindles historical ties
Narendra Modi's trip to Ghana in July 2025, part of a five-nation visit, is the first by an Indian prime minister in over 30 years. The two countries' relationship goes back more than half a century to when India helped the newly independent Ghana set up its intelligence agencies. Ghana is also home to several large Indian-owned manufacturing and trading companies. International relations scholar Pius Siakwah unpacks the context of the visit. It can be traced to links between Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president, and his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1957. It is not surprising that the Indian High Commission is situated near the seat of the Ghana government, Jubilee House. Nkrumah and Nehru were co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of states not formally aligned with major power blocs during the cold war. Its principles focused on respect for sovereignty, neutrality, non-interference, and peaceful dispute resolution. It was also a strong voice against the neo-colonial ambitions of some of the large powers. The movement emerged in the wave of decolonization after the Second World War. It held its first conference in 1961 under the leadership of Josip Bros Tito (Yugoslavia), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt) and Sukarno (Indonesia) as well as Nehru and Nkrumah. The relationship between Ghana and India seemingly went into decline after the overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966, coinciding with the decline of Indian presence in global geopolitics. In 2002, President John Kufuor re-energised India-Ghana relations. This led to the Indian government's financial support in the construction of Ghana's seat of government in 2008. Though the concept of the Non-Aligned Movement has faded this century, its principles have crystallized into South-South cooperation. This is the exchange of knowledge, skills, resources and technologies among regions in the developing world. South-South cooperation has fueled India-Ghana relations. Modi's diplomatic efforts since 2014 have sought to relaunch India's presence in Africa. In recent times, India has engaged Africa through the India–Africa Forum Summit. The first summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi with 14 countries from Africa. The largest one was held in 2015. The fourth was postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19. The summit has led to 50,000 scholarships, a focus on renewable energy through the International Solar Alliance and an expansion of the Pan-African e-Network to bridge healthcare and educational gaps. Development projects are financed through India's EXIM Bank. India is now one of Ghana's major trading partners, importing primary products like minerals, while exporting manufactured products such as pharmaceuticals, transport and agricultural machinery. The Ghana-India Trade Advisory Chamber was established in 2018 for socio-economic exchange. Modi's visit supports the strengthening of economic and defence ties. The bilateral trade between India and Ghana moved from US$1 billion in 2011-12 to US$4.5 billion in 2018-19. It then dipped to US$2.2 billion in 2020-21 due to Covid. By 2023, bilateral trade amounted to around US$3.3 billion, making India the third-largest export and import partner behind China and Switzerland. Indian companies have invested in over 700 projects in Ghana. These include B5 Plus, a leading iron and steel manufacturer, and Melcom, Ghana's largest supermarket chain. India is also one of the leading sources of foreign direct investment into Ghana. Indian companies had invested over US$2 billion in Ghana by 2021, according to the Ghana Investment Promotion Center. The key areas of collaboration are economic, particularly: energy infrastructure (for example, construction of the Tema to Mpakadan railway line) defence technology pharmaceuticals agriculture (agro-processing, mechanisation and irrigation systems) industrial (light manufacturing). Modi's visit is part of a broader visit to strengthen bilateral ties and a follow-up to the BRICS Summit to be held in Brazil. Thus, whereas South Africa is often seen as the gateway to Africa, Ghana is becoming the opening to West Africa. Modi's visit can be viewed in several ways. First, India as a neo-colonialist. Some commentators see India's presence as just a continuation of exploitative relations. This manifests in financial and agricultural exploitation and land grabbing. Second, India as smart influencer. This is where the country adopts a low profile but benefits from soft power; linguistic, cultural and historical advantages; and good relationships at various societal and governmental levels. Third, India as a perennial underdog. India has less funding, underdeveloped communications, limited diplomatic capacity, little soft power advantage and an underwhelming media presence compared with China. China is able to project its power in Africa through project financing and loans, visible diplomatic presence with visits and media coverage in Ghana. Some of the coverage of Chinese activities in Ghana is negative – illegal mining is an example. India benefits from limited negative media presence but its contributions in areas of pharmaceuticals and infrastructure don't get attention. Modi will want his visit to build on ideas of South-South cooperation, soft power and smart operating. He'll want to refute notions that India is a perennial underdog or a neo-colonialist in a new scramble for Africa. In 2025, Ghana has to navigate a complex geopolitical space. Pius Siakwah is a senior research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Workers of Africa: The Unfinished Struggle for Liberation
Kenyan Nairobi, 2024-06-24. Protesters confronting a police officer during a protest against Kenya's new Finance Bill in Nairobi on June 24, 2024. Africa's workers face a coordinated attack by capital, both local and global, backed by the IMF, the World Bank, and complicit elites who have abandoned the very people they once claimed to serve, says the writer. Image: AFP Mbuso Ngubane AFRICA Day is not a day for celebration in the narrow sense. It is a day of remembrance, reflection, and recommitment. We do not mark the birth of the Organisation of African Unity on the 25th of May 1963 with song and dance alone. We mark it with struggle. The very idea of Africa's unity, and its promise of liberation, has always rested on the backs, and in the hands, of its workers. Not just those who labour in mines and factories, but also those who clean homes, till the soil, sew clothes, raise children, and build roads. It is working-class men and women, those who carry the continent's burdens daily, who have borne the cost of empire, and it is they who have carried the fight for freedom across generations. Africa's liberation has never been the product of state declarations or elite negotiation. It has always been forged in protest, in strike, in sweat, and often in blood. When Ghana rose under Nkrumah, it was the strikes of railway and cocoa workers that shook the colonial economy. In South Africa, it was not the ballot box alone that broke apartheid. It was the power of the organised working class, from the 1973 Durban strikes to the formation of militant unions like the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa. The same can be said of Guinea-Bissau under Amílcar Cabral, where the peasantry and rural workers were central to building a people's war. Cabral was clear: 'Tell no lies, claim no easy victories.' And we must now also be clear. Africa is not yet free. The great betrayal of African independence was that while flags changed and national anthems were composed, the economic system remained intact. The colonial economy, rooted in extraction and exploitation, continued to thrive. This time under African managers, but still under the same logic of capital. Workers remained landless, poor, and expendable. Their voices were marginalised in the very nations they had helped to liberate. As Thomas Sankara warned, political independence without economic justice is merely the illusion of freedom. Sankara, a revolutionary of rare honesty and vision, called for a break with neo-colonialism, for land redistribution, for women's emancipation, for a new economic order rooted in self-reliance. He was murdered by the very forces that feared what might happen if workers truly led. And today, we must ask: what has changed? In South Africa, nearly 50% of young people are unemployed. Women continue to carry the burden of unpaid reproductive labour, while also surviving on precarious wages in the care and retail sectors. Miners die underground, farm workers live in shacks, domestic workers are denied basic protections, and informal traders are harassed and criminalised. The economy remains colonial in structure. It exports raw materials, imports manufactured goods and services for the profits of capitalists while communities go hungry. This is not transformation. It is continued dispossession. The same conditions exist across much of the continent. In Nigeria, oil workers face mass retrenchments while the profits are repatriated to multinational giants. In the DRC, children dig for cobalt with their bare hands, fuelling a so-called green economy that has no place for them. In Kenya and Uganda, trade union leaders are imprisoned or assassinated. In Morocco and Tunisia, workers organising for dignity are crushed under anti-terror laws. From the Sahel to the Cape, Africa's workers face a coordinated attack by capital, both local and global, backed by the IMF, the World Bank, and complicit elites who have abandoned the very people they once claimed to serve. But this is not just a story of defeat. New fires are burning on the continent. In Mali and Burkina Faso, led by figures like Assimi Goïta and Ibrahim Traoré, there is a rebellion against the dominance of France and the plunder of our resources. These processes are complex, often contradictory, and we must watch them with both hope and clarity. But what cannot be denied is that something long suppressed, is now stirring. A Pan-African consciousness is resurfacing. Not from orchestrated summits or high-level dialogues, but from the lived experiences of those whose hands sustain our economies. It is returning through the organised defiance of farmworkers resisting landlessness, through the daily calculations of informal traders navigating criminalisation and debt, and through the collective frustration of unemployed youth with no future promised to them. It is shaped not in abstractions, but in concrete material struggle. What we are seeing is not a spectacle. It is a substance, and it cannot be ignored. On this Africa Day, we must reject the empty symbolism of liberation without transformation. We must say clearly that the project of African unity is meaningless if it does not speak to the daily struggles of working people. Africa will not be saved by billion-dollar infrastructure deals, or by a new scramble for lithium and rare earths. It will be saved by the transformation of our societies along the lines of justice, equity, and people's power. That re-organisation begins with workers. Those who produce value, who build nations, who raise the next generation. The trade union movement on the continent must rise to this occasion. We must rebuild our solidarity across borders. We must reject the legal straightjackets imposed on our organising. We must stop relying on state patronage and return to the grassroots, to the workplaces, to the streets. Unions cannot be junior partners in capitalist development. We must be the voice of an alternative future. We must also be honest about our failures: where we have been co-opted, where we have ignored women's struggles, where we have failed to adapt to the realities of the informal and unemployed. A movement that cannot renew itself cannot lead.
