PM Narendra Modi has articulated a key principle of India’s Africa policy: That African priorities would guide India’s engagement (Representative image). 4 min read May 13, 2026 05:18 PM IST First published on: May 13, 2026 at 05:16 PM IST The fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS IV), scheduled for May 28-31, is a moment to rethink how India engages Africa in a rapidly changing world, and find ways to keep the relationship anchored in, but not dependent on, a summit. IAFS IV was due in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a period of intense global diplomatic churn , resulted in a prolonged pause. Africa’s global partnerships have deepened and diversified since. The resumption must therefore contend with a far more competitive landscape. The European Union and Japan held summits with African partners in 2025, South Korea convened ministerial consultations. Germany hosted discussions on the Sudan crisis in April, and France is advancing its own outreach this month.…