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World
Kenya will become the first non-Francophone African nation to host the France-Africa summit, as Macron seeks to redefine ties.
For the first time in the summit's history, a non-Francophone African country will serve as host. Kenya is set to welcome the "France-Africa" gathering next week, a symbolic shift as Paris works to reshape its relationship with the continent. President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Nairobi on Sunday, arriving from Egypt, for a bilateral visit where he is scheduled to meet Kenyan President William Ruto, a key ally in several French initiatives.
With roughly one year left in his term, Macron aims to present a "renewed partnership" with Africa, according to an aide at the Élysée Palace who briefed journalists. The core objective, the palace stated, is to "highlight and strengthen a renewed partnership with African states."
On May 11 and 12, Macron will participate in the "Africa Forward" summit, also held in Nairobi, which will center primarily on economic investments. The Élysée described the meeting as following a "very economic logic, heavily focused on investment," featuring a large delegation of French and African business leaders from both sides. Since its inception in 1973, the summit has traditionally alternated between France and Francophone African capitals.
This gathering comes at a difficult moment for French influence on the continent, particularly in West Africa, where several former French colonies have increasingly distanced themselves from Paris. Nations including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have expelled French troops, reduced military cooperation, and strengthened ties with alternative partners, including Russia. The three Sahel states have also withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to form the Alliance of Sahel States, weakening traditional Western influence in the region.
With his presidency nearing its end, Macron is seeking to recalibrate a broader diplomacy that moves beyond Paris's historical alliances with Francophone nations, placing greater emphasis on economic cooperation, innovation, and investment partnerships across the entire continent. French officials hope the Nairobi meeting will help reposition France as a long-term economic and innovation partner for Africa at a time when competition for influence from China, Turkey, Russia, and the United States is intense.
France long enjoyed a dominant position in West and Central Africa during the Cold War, holding a very strong economic standing. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, those countries opened up to other economic players. For a time, France acted as West Africa's "policeman" even as it lost market share. The era of Paris controlling over 60% of the market in those nations is over. Its military bases have been withdrawn from Ivory Coast, and French forces have left Senegal.
By 2023, France's share of the continent's trade had fallen to just 3%, compared to 17% for China. The focus now is on finding new economic opportunities. English-speaking Africa is playing an increasingly important role in these plans. Within a few years, Nigeria has become one of Paris's top economic partners.
A study by Deloitte, cited by the magazine *Jeune Afrique*, indicates that French investments in East Africa doubled between 2015 and 2020, while investments in South Africa increased by 50% over the same period. TotalEnergies, which has gradually withdrawn from its historical stronghold of Gabon, has significantly increased its investments in Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria. In 2024, with a goods trade volume of nearly 5 billion euros, Nigeria became France's top trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, surpassing South Africa (3.1 billion euros) and far outpacing Francophone Ivory Coast (2.6 billion euros).
