India plays globo cop off Somali coast as Western navies play safe

India’s historical links with eastern Africa coupled with the sub continent’s thirst for Africa’s resources and the need to safeguard oil imports through the Gulf of Aden have forced her to act tough on Somali pirates, writes policy analyst PATRICK MUTAHI

India’s rising influence in the seas is not without mishaps. Last month, New Delhi drew criticism after sinking a Thai fishing trawler that had been commandeered hours earlier by pirates. At least one Thai crew member was killed in the attack, which the Indian navy had originally announced by saying it had sunk a pirate “mother ship.” It defended its actions, saying it had fired in self-defense.

However, the recent activities have seen India asserting itself as the de facto sea power in the Indian Ocean which is considered as its natural zone of pre-eminence.

According to India’s External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee is on record as saying that “within the larger maritime canvas, it is our nation’s military maritime power - as embodied by the Indian Navy… that is the enabling instrument that allows all the other components of maritime power to be exercised.”

This was echoed by Admiral Sureesh Mehta who took over as Chief of Naval Staff on October 31, 2006.

In an interview with India Express he said, “we want our navy to operate in waters far away from home. Our ships have to be placed at distant places. If our ships are present far away from home, we can do something to raise the prestige of the nation.”

Maritime surveillance

The Indian Navy has been transformed into a useful state instrument for “navy diplomacy.” Along the East African coast, India has signed defense agreements with Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. It has also initiated joint training programmes with Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.

Delhi has also convinced island states such as Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles to cooperate on maritime surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Indian warships have been regular visitors in Mauritius - INS Savitri in September 2004, her advanced missile frigate INS Tabar in July 2004, and INS Sharda in April 2005.

Work carried out by INS Sarvekshak around Mauritius in April 2006 gave rise to talk of the Indian Navy setting a base at Mauritius’ Agalega Island. Apart from general port call signified by flag waving, these visits have also been part of the Mauritius-Indian agreement drawn up in 2003, whereby the Indian Navy would henceforth monitor Mauritius’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

Furthermore, INS Ranjit and INS Suvarna were deployed in June-July 2003 for training and security purposes in and off Maputo, including providing protection to the African Union Summit taking place in Mozambique.

INS Sujata and INS Savitri provided security cover to the three-day World Economic Forum in Mozambique during June 2004. Links with Mozambique have been strengthened, the two countries signing a memorandum of understanding in March 2006, whereby India agreed to mount maritime patrols off the Mozambique coast.

South Africa has been a scene of further naval outreach. June 2005 saw INS Trishul and INS Aditya docking at Durban, followed by the arrival of INS Delhi and INS Ganga at Cape Town, and combined naval drills with the South African navy. Indian naval units are also reportedly due to be dispatched to the waters around Cape Town in May 2008, in order to take part in tri-lateral exercises with the Brazilian and South African navies.

On the global scene, India’s bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council is unequivocally backed by permanent members France, Russia, United Kingdom and China.

Security Council seat