Macron opens Africa summit in Kenya with push for new France-Africa partnership
Key takeaways
- French President Emmanuel Macron began a visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, where he will promote France’s new approach to Africa based on partnership rather than influence.
- By: FRANCE 24 Emmanuel Macron arrives in Kenya for the Africa Forward Summit on May 10, 2026.
- Since the independence of France's former African colonies, France had maintained a policy of economic, political and military sway dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
French President Emmanuel Macron began a visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, where he will promote France’s new approach to Africa based on partnership rather than influence. The gathering comes amid France’s military withdrawal from West Africa and renewed debate over its post-colonial role on the continent.
By: FRANCE 24 Emmanuel Macron arrives in Kenya for the Africa Forward Summit on May 10, 2026. © France 24 French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, a gathering meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent – a shift from a former colonial power seen as dominating to what Paris describes as a partnership of equals.
Held for the first time in an Anglophone country, the summit is expected to draw reactions to the withdrawal of French troops from West Africa that was completed last year amid France's waning regional influence in recent years.