President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron during the Africa Forward Summit at the University of Nairobi on May 11, 2026. [PCS]
The relationship between the French Republic and the African continent began in the 18th century with the establishment of an isolated trading post. In 1830, France made its ambitions official with the seizure of Algiers. The intervening 196 years since then have been tumultuous ones for France across Africa.
Some saw the exit from Africa of France’s remaining military forces amid rising anti-French sentiment as a symbolic full stop to over two centuries of French direct involvement in Africa. But France is now trying to prove it is a committed partner to Africa by reorienting itself towards Anglophone African countries.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Nairobi, which hosted the Africa Forward Summit this week, a joint Kenyan-French effort to boost partnerships between Africa and France for innovation and growth. The event was especially significant, as it marked the first time since 1973 that it has been held in an Anglophone country.
Beyond the somewhat tired name that feels like a template any Western government might use to engage in Africa, the Africa Forward Summit signified a significant change in France’s strategy.
