Macron Launches East Africa Tour Seeking to Redefine France's Postcolonial Role
Primary region Africa
Tags Diplomacy · Economy · Security
Regions Africa · Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-country East Africa tour on May 9-10, visiting Egypt, Kenya, and Ethiopia, with the centerpiece being the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on May 11-12 — the first France-Africa summit held in an English-speaking country. The tour is widely seen as a bid by Paris to repair economic and security ties and counter rising anti-French sentiment across parts of Africa, particularly in the Sahel region where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have expelled French troops and turned to Russian security partners. The Africa Forward Summit will bring together around 30 heads of state, 4,000+ delegates, and 2,500+ business leaders, focusing on green industrialization, AI/digital tech, blue economy, food security, and peace/security. Macron will conclude his tour in Addis Ababa on May 13 with meetings at African Union headquarters.
Strategic interpretation
Macron's pivot to East Africa represents a strategic recalibration after France's expulsion from Sahel states, where Russian influence has filled the vacuum. By co-hosting with Kenya — an Anglophone economic hub — France signals a move away from its traditional Francophone sphere toward a more diversified Africa strategy. The summit's focus on investment and innovation rather than security and aid reflects an attempt to reframe the relationship as mutually beneficial. However, France's ability to compete with China, Russia, and the Gulf states for African partnerships remains an open question, particularly given the legacy of postcolonial resentment.