Keypoints:
- France is shifting focus beyond former colonies
- Kenya summit signals Macron’s Africa reset
- China and Russia continue expanding influence
FRANCE will attempt to rebuild its influence across Africa next week as President Emmanuel Macron heads to Nairobi for a major summit aimed at deepening ties with countries beyond Paris’ traditional Francophone sphere.
The gathering in Nairobi marks the first time France has hosted such a high-level Africa summit in an English-speaking African country, underlining a broader diplomatic pivot following years of setbacks in the Sahel and growing competition from China and Russia.
The summit comes months after France’s withdrawal from Senegal and shrinking military footprint in West Africa, developments that accelerated debate over Paris’ future role on the continent.
The summit will bring together African heads of state, business executives and multilateral lenders to discuss investment, infrastructure, technology and financial reform.
‘Macron seeks post-Sahel reset’
With less than a year left in his presidency, Macron is attempting to redefine France’s role in Africa after military-led governments in several former French colonies expelled French troops and sharply curtailed Paris’ political influence.
Coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020 have transformed the geopolitical landscape of the Sahel, with ruling juntas turning increasingly towards Russia for security partnerships while publicly criticising what they describe as decades of French interference.
France also completed the withdrawal of troops from Senegal last year after Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared that foreign military bases were incompatible with national sovereignty.
The shift reflects France’s weakening geopolitical influence across Africa, as governments increasingly diversify security and economic partnerships.
Analysts say France’s repositioning reflects a wider transformation in African diplomacy, where governments increasingly prioritise transactional partnerships over historic alliances.
The setbacks have forced Paris to reassess its Africa strategy, moving away from a security-centred posture towards economic diplomacy and commercial engagement.
An aide to Macron told reporters that the summit would showcase a ‘renewed partnership’ between France and African states.
‘It does feel like a rebranding of how France is positioning itself on the continent,’ Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst at Control Risks, told Reuters.
‘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.’
‘Kenya becomes new diplomatic focus’
Hosting the summit in Kenya carries both symbolic and strategic significance.
Kenya has emerged as one of Africa’s most influential diplomatic and economic centres, while President William Ruto has positioned Nairobi as a key voice on global financial reform and climate financing.
France has increasingly sought closer ties with Kenya, including through a defence cooperation agreement signed last October covering intelligence sharing, maritime security and peacekeeping.
Macron’s visit is also expected to focus heavily on investment in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, infrastructure and education as France seeks to compete more effectively in sectors increasingly dominated by Chinese and Gulf-backed financing.
The French government has expanded commercial engagement across the continent in recent years. According to data from the International Trade Centre, French imports from Africa rose by around a quarter between 2021 and 2024.
Paris also signed a €300m investment agreement with Nigeria in 2024 covering infrastructure, healthcare, transport and renewable energy projects.
‘China and Russia reshape influence battle’
Despite those efforts, France continues to face mounting competition from rival powers seeking greater influence across Africa.
China remains Africa’s largest infrastructure financier, while Gulf states have expanded investments in ports, logistics and energy projects. Beijing has also expanded diplomatic and trade influence through long-term lending, transport projects and critical minerals partnerships across the continent.
Russia, meanwhile, has deepened security cooperation with several military-led governments in the Sahel.
Russia has steadily expanded its security footprint in the Sahel through military cooperation agreements and the Africa Corps network that succeeded the Wagner Group after 2023.
The changing geopolitical climate has been reinforced by Chad’s demand for a rapid French military withdrawal, highlighting the broader erosion of France’s traditional security architecture in Africa.
Kenya itself delivered a significant setback to French commercial ambitions last year after Ruto’s government cancelled a $1.5bn highway expansion project led by French construction giant Vinci and reassigned it to Chinese firms.
Kenyan authorities argued that the original agreement exposed the country to excessive financial risk.
The Nairobi summit is therefore expected to test whether France can successfully reposition itself as a long-term economic and diplomatic partner in an increasingly multipolar Africa.
For many African governments, the changing landscape offers an opportunity to diversify partnerships and negotiate from a stronger position rather than relying on historic alliances.
The summit also highlights how African governments are increasingly leveraging competition between global powers to secure investment, security cooperation and diplomatic influence on more favourable terms.
Ruto is expected to use the summit to advance calls for reforms to the global financial system, arguing that heavily indebted African countries require fairer financing structures and greater representation in international institutions.
France has publicly backed those proposals, signalling an attempt to align itself more closely with African priorities as it seeks to rebuild trust and relevance across the continent.
Recent diplomatic tensions have also fuelled criticism of Paris, including backlash against Macron’s remarks on African governance and security early last year.
