By A Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 31 — The African Union (AU) has extended strong support to India in its fight against terrorism and affirmed the country's sovereign right to respond to attacks. In a significant statement, Billy Winter, Chief of the Peace Committee of the AU’s Security Council, expressed the organisation’s “complete solidarity” with India in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead.
“We are with India in these trying moments,” Winter said on Saturday, following a high-level meeting with an Indian parliamentary delegation in Addis Ababa. “We condemn terrorism in the strongest terms. The African Union also had the menace of terrorism across a number of member states. We discussed with the Indian delegation how to tackle this jointly.”
Winter noted the parallels between India's experiences with cross-border terror and the AU's challenges with insurgencies and extremist violence in parts of Africa. He said the AU is committed to “joining the walk to eliminate this menace once and for all.”
In a clear endorsement of India’s evolving security posture, Winter said, “India's new doctrine on its right to respond against terror attacks is obvious. Right to Respond is a sovereign right.”
The AU’s endorsement adds to the growing international recognition of India’s retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam massacre. India’s doctrine of proactive self-defence, which includes precision strikes on terror infrastructure beyond its borders, has drawn both support and scrutiny globally.