French President Emmanuel Macron is set to launch a historic diplomatic and economic reset next week as he co-hosts the “Africa Forward” Summit in the Kenyan capital, marking the first time such a high-level French gathering has taken place in an English-speaking African nation.
With only one year remaining in his presidency, Macron aims to showcase a “renewed partnership” that transcends France’s traditional colonial footprint.
The summit, which will be attended by heads of state—including Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye—and multilateral development bank executives, focuses on securing investment deals in clean energy, artificial intelligence, and education.
This strategic shift follows a series of setbacks for Paris in the Sahel region, where military coups and the rise of Russian influence have effectively ended decades of French security and political dominance.
The choice of Nairobi as a host city underscores a broader French strategy to broaden engagement beyond “Françafrique” and toward more stable, non-traditional partners.
Since 2021, France has grown its imports from Africa by 25%, while recently signing a 300-million-euro investment pact with Nigeria and a defense agreement with Kenya focused on intelligence sharing and maritime security. However, the success of this pivot remains an open question, as France faces stiff competition from China and Gulf states.
Notably, President William Ruto’s government previously terminated a $1.5 billion highway deal with France’s Vinci SA, opting for Chinese firms instead—a move that highlights the competitive and risk-sensitive nature of current African infrastructure markets.
In addition to investment, the summit will serve as a platform for President Ruto to advance discussions on reforming the global financial system to better support heavily indebted African nations.
Following his visit to Kenya, Macron is scheduled to travel to Egypt and Ethiopia to further solidify these emerging ties, Analysts suggest that while Paris is moving away from its legacy as a security guarantor in West Africa, its future influence on the continent will increasingly depend on its ability to offer cultural and economic value in a multipolar landscape where African nations are increasingly assertive about their sovereignty and strategic choices.
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