Army Chief General Dwivedi’s Algeria Visit A Step Towards Boosting India–Africa Defence Cooperation

India’s Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, has held wide-ranging discussions with Algeria’s senior military leadership, placing training exchanges, defence-industrial collaboration, and capability development at the centre of the agenda.

The trip, his first overseas visit since the conclusion of Operation Sindoor, marks New Delhi’s intent to step up its role in the Maghreb-Sahel region, where Algeria is emerging as a key partner.

Why is Algeria significant for India?

Strategically, Algeria’s position in the Maghreb-Sahel-Mediterranean arc makes it important for India. The energy-rich African country with oil, gas, and critical mineral resources also fields one of the continent’s most capable militaries. Algeria has a history of mediation in regional conflicts and plays an influential role within the African Union, making it an effective partner for India’s Africa outreach.

For New Delhi, cooperation with Algeria dovetails with broader policies of South-South engagement, non-alignment, and support for sovereignty—values that both sides publicly emphasise. Algeria’s recent condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack also points to counter-terrorism as a shared priority.

What areas of defence cooperation were discussed?

Talks reportedly covered:

• Training programmes for senior officers, reflecting the commonality of equipment in both militaries.
• Joint capability development, including anti-drone systems and other niche technologies.
• Defence-industrial linkages, with scope for India to provide maintenance and modernisation support to Algeria’s armed forces.
• A defence seminar held in Algiers earlier this month brought Indian firms face-to-face with Algerian officials, underscoring the interest in building industrial ties.

How does this fit into Algeria’s evolving defence posture?

Algeria has long relied on Russia for defence supplies, but with Moscow’s capacity weakened by the Ukraine war and quality concerns mounting, Algiers has sought to diversify partnerships. In recent years, it has signed agreements with India and the United States: a hint towards the gradual recalibration of its defence ties.

By engaging with India, Algeria not only gains an alternative supplier and partner but also builds a bridge into Asia’s security frameworks. For India, this partnership provides a foothold in North Africa and the Sahel, complementing its Indo-Pacific strategy with a West-facing arc.