• French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto are hosting the two-day ‘Africa forward’ summit in Nairobi, aiming to strengthen economic and political ties between Europe and Africa.
  • Macron wants to shift French foreign policy in Africa, focusing on economically strong and politically stable Anglophone countries like Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, instead of former colonies in West Africa.
  • France seeks to become Africa’s most important European partner to counter the growing influence of China, Russia, and investors from the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
  • China is the largest economic partner of many African countries, including Kenya, where Chinese companies have built infrastructure, but Kenya is heavily indebted as a result.
  • French companies like Total, Orange, and Auchan remain present in former colonies, but France’s political and military influence in West Africa is declining due to coups and rising anti-French sentiment.

Sources & Links