Africa-Press. More than 30 African leaders opened a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Kenya, as Paris seeks to establish new deals and partnerships amid signs of declining influence in some of its former colonies on the continent.
The summit is part of Macron’s African tour, which began in Alexandria with the inauguration of the new campus of Senghor Francophone University, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and will conclude in Addis Ababa with a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and a visit to the African Union headquarters with the UN Secretary-General.
The Washington Post noted that France aims to expand its geostrategic influence in Africa through the summit following its withdrawal from the Sahel, and to strengthen its alliances beyond its former colonies.
The official summit website indicates that the topics on the agenda include: sustainable financing and reform of the international financial system, energy transition and green manufacturing, blue economy and infrastructure, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture and food security, health, as well as peace and security.
According to the research platform specializing in African affairs “Africa Trends,” the choice of Nairobi carries a dual significance: first, it acknowledges that the centers of economic gravity in Africa are no longer confined to the Francophone space, and second, it attempts to position itself in English-speaking East Africa, which is more connected to investment, logistics services, and the digital economy, amid rising international competition involving China, Russia, Turkey, and the United States.
The “Africa Forward” summit is the first summit organized by France in an English-speaking country, following a series of setbacks in West Africa, where some Francophone leaders have reduced security and trade relations with France.
During a discussion panel with young business leaders on technology and artificial intelligence, alongside Kenyan President William Ruto, Macron stated that Africa and France are equal partners with shared goals.
He added, “Many solutions are made in the United States or in China. I believe we have a common struggle… which is to build our strategic independence for Europe and Africa, and if we build it together, we will be much stronger.”
The richest man in Africa, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, is attending, along with more than 30 presidents, vice presidents, and prime ministers from Africa, and executives from leading French companies such as Total Energies and Orange.
On Sunday, during a state visit between Macron and Ruto, deals worth over a billion dollars were announced, including plans by the French shipping group CMA CGM to invest 700 million euros (823 million dollars) to upgrade a terminal at the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Investments in clean energy, artificial intelligence, and other areas are also expected to be announced.
France has long promoted its trade growth with African countries, despite experiencing disappointments as well.
Last year, Ruto’s government canceled a $1.5 billion highway expansion deal with a consortium led by a French company and awarded it to Chinese firms after Kenyan authorities stated it posed significant risks.
Kenya hopes to leverage the summit to attract French investors looking to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and to enhance discussions aimed at making the global financial system fairer for debt-laden African countries.
The Kenyan president will attend the G7 summit next month in Evian at the invitation of France, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the group. Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi stated, “We believe it is good to include the critical outcomes of this meeting as key agenda items for the G7.”
France has historically maintained close relations with Africa, particularly in its former colonies in West and Central Africa, but it faces rising anti-French sentiment.
Since 2020, coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have brought military officers to power who have expelled French troops. France also handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal last July after the Senegalese president stated that French bases contradict the country’s sovereignty.
