France Repositions African Ties at Kenya Summit Amid West Africa Setbacks
By Duncan Miriri
France's Shifting Strategy in Africa
NAIROBI, May 8 (Reuters) - Shorn of influence in its former colonies in West Africa, France will seek to deepen ties elsewhere on the continent next week at an Africa summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, its first in an English-speaking country.
Macron's Renewed Partnership Approach
With a year left in his presidency, French President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to showcase a "renewed partnership" with Africa, an aide at the Elysee Palace told reporters.
Monday and Tuesday's summit, which will be attended by heads of state, business executives and heads of multilateral development banks, follows repeated setbacks for France in former colonies where it has for decades wielded influence.
Setbacks in West Africa
A series of coups in the Sahel region since 2020 have brought to power military officers who have expelled French troops and invited in Russian mercenaries.
France also handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal last July after Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye - who is expected to attend the Kenya summit - said French bases were incompatible with the country's sovereignty.
Shifting Focus to New Partners
"It does feel like a rebranding of how France is positioning itself on the continent," said Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst at the Control Risks consultancy who is based in Senegal.
"It is moving away from some of its former colonial partners, security partners, towards countries where it has more of a cultural, a different footprint."
Success of French Pivot: An Open Question
Historical Tensions and Broader Engagement
Macron came to power in 2017 vowing to end "Francafrique", the murky links between France and its former colonies that at times saw Paris back autocratic regimes, and to broaden engagement across the continent.
The pivot has involved attempts to tackle historical tensions with countries like Rwanda and Algeria while more closely engaging African civil society and youth leaders, said Alain Antil, the head of the Sub-Saharan Africa programme at the French Institute for International Relations.
Economic and Investment Initiatives
At the same time, Paris has looked to boost trading ties, growing its imports from Africa by a quarter between 2021 and 2024, according to data from the International Trade Centre.
Recent Investment Agreements
In 2024, France and Nigeria signed a 300-million-euro investment agreement to support critical infrastructure, healthcare, transportation and renewable energy across Africa's most populous country.
Investment deals, especially in areas like clean energy, artificial intelligence and education are expected to be at the centre of Macron's trip to Africa for the summit, during which he will also visit Egypt and Ethiopia.
Security Cooperation and Competition
Macron's government has also looked to strengthen security cooperation with non-traditional partners, including by signing a defence pact with Kenya last October to boost cooperation in intelligence sharing, maritime security and peacekeeping.
However, France has faced some high-profile setbacks in countries where foreign investors like China and Gulf states have leveraged deep pockets and longstanding relationships to build influence.
Challenges from Global Competitors
Kenyan President William Ruto's government terminated a deal with a consortium led by France's Vinci SA for a $1.5 billion highway expansion project last year and handed it to Chinese firms after Kenyan authorities said the contract saddled them with too much risk.
Summit Goals and Future Outlook
Ruto, who will co-host the summit, plans to focus on advancing talks on making the global financial system fairer to heavily indebted African countries. France has pledged to support his campaign.
(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Additional reporting by Macdonald Dzirutwe in Lagos and Gabriel Stargardter in Paris; Editing by Aaron Ross and Shri Navaratnam)
