French President Emmanuel Macron used the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi to announce $27 billion in planned investments across Africa, focusing on sectors such as energy transition, artificial intelligence, agriculture and maritime industries. Co-hosted with Kenyan President William Ruto, the summit marks France’s effort to deepen ties beyond its traditional French-speaking allies and reshape its relationship with the continent.
The gathering comes as France faces growing anti-French sentiment and declining influence in several former colonies in West Africa, where military governments in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have expelled French troops and strengthened ties with Russia. Analysts say hosting the summit in English-speaking Kenya signals a broader shift in Paris’s Africa strategy, moving away from old colonial-era networks toward partnerships driven by trade, investment and economic cooperation.
Kenyan officials described the summit as an opportunity to break linguistic and colonial barriers that have historically divided African countries into Anglophone and Francophone blocs. Alongside diplomacy and security discussions, the event focused heavily on investment opportunities, infrastructure and technology partnerships, with more than 30 African leaders and major business executives attending as France seeks to maintain its relevance amid growing competition from China, Russia and Turkey.
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