Kenya is hosting the first-ever Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, marking a significant departure from the traditional hosting pattern that has largely favored Francophone African nations. More than thirty heads of state and government, 1,500 CEOs, and approximately 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the summit.
The Kenyan government and sections of the business community have hailed the gathering as a historic economic opportunity, while civil society groups and opposition figures have condemned it as an attempt to rebrand imperialism under a new name. Despite the criticism, the government insists that its approach is rooted in pragmatism rather than ideology. President William Ruto has been quoted as saying that Kenya is “facing neither East nor West, but forward.”
Among the notable dignitaries expected at the summit are António Guterres and Emmanuel Macron, who is co-hosting the summit alongside other international leaders and diplomats.
The conference’s relocation away from West Africa reflects the growing anti-French sentiment across that region. France appears to be attempting a gradual but fundamental reinvention of its relationship with Africa in an effort to counter the backlash it has faced in recent years. However, many observers believe the effort may have come too late. France’s influence in West and Central Africa has been steadily declining, particularly after the military coups in Mali in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger in 2023.
Following these political upheavals, France suffered a series of strategic setbacks. The French military was expelled from Mali after nearly a decade of involvement under Operation Barkhane. Burkina Faso ended its military cooperation agreements with France in 2023, while Niger also pushed out French troops following the 2023 coup. Similar trends emerged in Chad, which terminated its defense pact with France in 2024, as well as in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, where French military presence has been reduced or restructured, with local governments assuming greater control over former French bases.
Many African activists view France with deep resentment over its policies in the Sahel region. In Niger, for example, former French ambassador Sylvain Itté initially refused to leave the country after being declared persona non grata and given 48 hours to depart. France argued that it did not recognize the military government that had seized power. The standoff escalated to the point where Niger’s authorities reportedly revoked the ambassador’s legal protections and physically blockaded the French embassy in Niamey.
The month-long diplomatic crisis, combined with defiant rhetoric from French officials, damaged France’s image across much of Africa. Many observers struggled to understand France’s refusal to comply with the new authorities, and the incident reinforced perceptions that Paris continued to exercise excessive influence over its former colonies. Niger’s military government quickly capitalized on those sentiments to strengthen its domestic legitimacy.
French media outlets have also faced accusations of bias in their coverage of the Sahel conflicts. Critics argue that some reporting unfairly portrayed the Sahelian governments negatively while giving insufficient scrutiny to extremist groups such as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. These perceptions have further fueled distrust toward France and its institutions across the region.
Given France’s long and controversial history on the African continent, many analysts believe that initiatives such as the Africa Forward Summit may struggle to reverse the growing anti-French sentiment. Decades-old grievances remain deeply rooted, and public opinion in many African countries has shifted significantly. Whether France can successfully redefine its role in Africa remains uncertain, but reversing the current trajectory may prove exceedingly difficult.
Anonymous 