Billy Winter Voices Clear Backing for India’s Anti-Terror Doctrine During AU Talks
AU’s Peace and Security Council chief reaffirms India’s sovereign right to retaliate, following Operation Sindoor and high-level delegation visit.

ADDIS ABABA / NEW DELHI, May 31 — In a strong diplomatic gesture, Billy Winter, who chairs the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, expressed clear support for India’s position on cross-border terrorism. Speaking after a high-level dialogue with Indian lawmakers in Addis Ababa, Winter stressed that sovereign states have an inherent right to defend themselves.
“We are with India in these trying moments,” Winter told reporters, drawing attention to the shared threat both India and the African continent face from terror networks. His comments follow India’s recent retaliatory action — Operation Sindoor — launched in response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s Right to Respond Draws AU Support
Winter didn’t mince words when referring to India’s right to take military action against terror groups based outside its territory. “If a state is struck by terrorism, the right to respond is unquestionable. That is a sovereign matter,” he said, while acknowledging India’s updated counterterrorism doctrine.
According to officials, the doctrine was explained in detail during the closed-door sessions with the all-party Indian delegation, which was led by Supriya Sule, MP from the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP).
The meeting was part of a broader diplomatic initiative by New Delhi aimed at building global consensus around the need for preemptive and retaliatory responses to terrorism. India has taken this campaign to several multilateral platforms following the April 22 terror strike in which 26 civilians were killed.
AU Brings Decades of Counterterror Insight
The African Union, for its part, has developed an expansive set of frameworks to counter insurgency and terrorism across the continent. Over the years, its member states have launched multiple regional collaborations — including the Djibouti Process, the Notch Court program, and operations supported by the Counter-Terrorism Centre in Algiers and the Information Sharing Hub in Entebbe.
“These are not just protocols on paper. They’re used regularly by member nations,” Winter said. “We discussed how these instruments can be extended to work with partners like India.”
According to Indian officials present at the dialogue, the idea of joint training programs, intelligence-sharing channels, and a possible annual security dialogue was also explored during the discussions.
Operation Sindoor: Context Behind the Diplomacy
India’s military response under Operation Sindoor, carried out on May 7, involved strikes on multiple terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Government sources said the targets included training camps, arms depots, and communication outposts used by militants linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
In the aftermath, Pakistan launched cross-border shelling and drone-based attacks along India’s northern frontier. India responded by damaging radar systems, airfields, and control centers in at least eleven locations across the Pakistani defense grid. An unofficial ceasefire understanding was later reached on May 10.
Officials involved in back-channel communications said the military escalation served to reinforce India’s position that acts of terrorism will meet with firm, proportionate responses.
Strategic Value of Africa in India’s Security Policy
India’s engagement with the African Union is not just about optics. With piracy in the Indian Ocean, conflict spillovers in the Horn of Africa, and growing influence of non-state actors, Africa is central to India’s evolving security blueprint. The AU, with its institutional depth and operational reach, is viewed as a natural partner in this context.
Billy Winter’s remarks gave weight to this idea. “Africa does not view terrorism as a distant problem. It is here. And it affects development, trade, food security, and stability,” he said. “India and Africa have a lot to learn from each other.”
Officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs indicated that the conversation in Addis Ababa could serve as the basis for long-term cooperation. No formal agreement was signed, but both sides are said to be working on a joint framework that will institutionalize cooperation.
Looking Ahead
Winter’s remarks have resonated strongly in Indian policy circles. Unlike routine diplomatic statements, his tone suggested genuine alignment. He pointed out that the AU is already in conversation with several international partners on terrorism, and India’s experience — particularly in Kashmir and along its western borders — is of direct relevance.
As New Delhi expands its security dialogues with countries in the Global South, African support could serve as a diplomatic counterweight to narratives pushed by adversarial states in international forums.
For now, India appears to be building its case step by step — not just with major Western powers, but with emerging voices that understand the cost of letting terrorism fester unchecked.
In Winter’s own words, “Shared pain leads to shared purpose. That’s the foundation of peace.”
Written by Amit S. | Published on 31 May 2025 | Source: ANI
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