French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto underscored the importance of mutual respect and sovereign equality at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday. Macron announced new investments worth €23 billion (approximately $27 billion) across various sectors in Africa, including energy, artificial intelligence, and agriculture. Of this total, €14 billion ($16.4 billion) will come from French companies, while €9 billion ($10.5 billion) will be contributed by African entities.
New Financial Shift in Relations
Macron stated that the summit marks a financial shift in the relationship between European nations and African countries, including those that were once French colonies. He emphasized that "sovereignty and autonomy are shared, and your success is our success." The French president highlighted that the new strategy is based on a shared agenda, adding that "the days of offering assistance are behind us" and that the focus should be on co-investment.
President Ruto's Call for Sovereign Equality
President Ruto, who co-hosted the summit with Macron, referred to sovereignty eight times in his closing speech. He reiterated that the era of European dependency for Africa is over, advocating for mutual respect between cooperating nations. "New partnerships between African nations and France must not be built on dependency but on sovereign equality, not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investment, and not on extraction or exploitation but on win-win engagements," Ruto said.
Context of Fallout with Former Colonies
The summit comes amid tensions between France and its former colonies, particularly in West Africa. France has long maintained a colonial policy known as Francafrique, which involved economic, political, and military influence, including the deployment of thousands of troops in the region. Following years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—who described France's approach as demeaning and heavy-handed—Paris has withdrawn most of its troops. The withdrawal from Senegal was completed in July.
Macron assured that France will respect each African country's independence. He hailed the strong show of unity from African heads of state and governments at the summit as "an image of a united continent with a shared agenda." The summit is set to conclude on Tuesday with a declaration expected to be signed by all 30 participating heads of state and government.
