French President Emmanuel Macron said that the era of his country’s sphere of influence in French-speaking African nations “is over,” justifying his choice of English-speaking Kenya to host the only major Franco-African summit during his presidency.
Macron arrived in Kenya, the second stop on his African tour after Egypt and met with his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, whom he considers a key ally as France seeks to diversify its relationships on the continent following a decline in its influence in former colonies.
The Franco-African summit, titled “Africa Forward,” is being held in Nairobi, the first time it has been held in an English-speaking country, on Monday and Tuesday. The summit focuses on the economy and investment.
“I, too, am looking to the future,” Macron said during a joint press conference with Ruto. “I believe we have brought about a comprehensive change in the last ten years.” He added, “I have never considered Francophone Africa a sphere of influence,” noting that since 2017, the year he came to power, “that era is over.” He explained that he did not want to “hide” the difficulties with other countries by choosing Kenya.
Coups in three Sahel countries—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—between 2020 and 2023 led to a decline in Paris’s role and the withdrawal of its military. The leaders of these three countries are absent from the Nairobi summit. (AFP)
