India-Africa Forum Summit postponed in wake of Ebola virus outbreak

New Delhi ( Vivek Ojha ) : India's Ministry of External Affairs and the African Union has jointly announced the postponement of the India-Africa Forum Summit-IV that was scheduled to take place here on May 28 to 31. The Ebola public health emergency in Africa is the main reason behind this postponment. The last such summit was held over a decade ago, and had also been postponed by a year due to an Ebola outbreak.

In a joint statement, the MEA and the AU hinted at the Ebola crisis, saying that the decision was taken in view of the “evolving health situation in parts of Africa”.

What is India Africa Forum Summit:

The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the apex institutional mechanism for India’s engagement with Africa. It was established in 2008 and covers the entire gamut of inter-State partnerships in political, security, economic, trade, developmental partnership, cultural and people-to-people relationships.

How many times has the IAFS been held?

The Summit has been held three times: First summit was held in 2008 (New Delhi), Second in 2011 (Addis Ababa), and Third in 2015 (New Delhi). Fourth summit which was scheduled to be held in May 2026 in New Delhi is now postponed.