France shifts Africa strategy toward English-speaking countries

France and Kenya will open the "Africa Forward Summit: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth" at the University of Nairobi on May 11. The two-day meeting marks the first time France has hosted such a summit in an English-speaking African country outside its traditional partners.

President Emmanuel Macron is using the summit to signal a major change in France's approach to Africa. According to Ulf Laessing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Sahel regional program in Mali, "France has lost a great deal of prestige and influence in Francophone African countries, especially in the Sahel region. It is now making a strong effort to expand into other Anglophone countries — South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria — in order to reposition itself and present itself as Africa's supposedly most important partner."

Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto will co-chair the summit. The agenda focuses on security, economic investment, and green energy. Ruto also plans to push for a more equitable global financial system for indebted African nations, with France pledging support. Around 30 heads of state and government from across Africa and the world are expected to attend.

France's shift reflects real losses in West Africa. Since 2022 and 2023, massive protests against French influence have swept the Sahel region. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all ended military cooperation with France and forced French troops to withdraw. Military leaders in these countries are capitalizing on anti-French sentiment to assert independence. Young populations in these nations—Mali's average age is 15, according to Laessing—have no connection to France and feel betrayed by past policies.

The CFA franc, a colonial-era currency still used in West Africa, has long fueled resentment. Although some West African countries started currency reform in 2020 with France's approval, the transition remains difficult. These mounting grievances have made France unwelcome across its former colonies in the Sahel and West Africa.

By moving eastward, France hopes to highlight its commitment to growth regions outside the Sahel. Yves Ekoué Amaïzo, director of the Afrocentricity Think Tank in Vienna, told DW that "France is seeking to realign its partnerships toward more diversified, economically oriented relationships, primarily in fast-growing regions such as East Africa." Instead of focusing on raw materials, France now seeks stable investment in infrastructure, renewable energy, the digital economy, logistics, and private-sector projects.

France already has business ties in Kenya. According to the French ambassador, France is the fifth-largest foreign direct investor in Kenya, supporting 46,000 jobs. Trade between the countries stands at around $300 million (€255 million) and is growing. Kenya exports fruit, coffee, tea, flowers, and spices to France while importing pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemicals, and machinery.

Competition in East Africa will be intense. France must compete with China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for investment deals. Kenya, however, is positioning itself as a strategic hub. President Ruto stated that "every item on the agenda, every conversation, and every commitment is aimed at one thing: An Africa that is at the forefront of global affairs, shaping its own destiny, determining its own future, and influencing the global discourse," according to The Star newspaper.

Kenya's location gives France additional advantages. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi—all largely Francophone—are part of the East African Community. This puts Kenya at a crossroads between Europe, the Indian Ocean, and the broader African continent. Kenyan economist James Shikwati noted that "the French government may have felt that this Kenyan policy offers it a better entry point back into Africa. In this case, into anglophone Africa, where France isn't necessarily viewed with hostility."

Broader global pressures also drive the shift. Crises in the Middle East and Ukraine are straining traditional markets. Shikwati explained that "established players are finding themselves in a new, difficult situation in which they must realign their global business strategy." This is why major powers are now targeting emerging economies seeking greater global influence.