Yinka Oyetade is pleased to welcome Paul Melly, Consulting Fellow of the Africa Programme, Chatham House. Emmanuel Macron is co-hosting the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, the first time France has staged such a gathering in an English-speaking African nation. this comes on the heels of France’s unprecedented strategic setbacks across the Sahel. Melly argues that France’s eastward diplomatic turn is not merely an attempt to “bounce back” after recent reversals, but the continuation of a longer strategic project launched early in Macron’s presidency: one designed to “rebalance in geographical terms France’s engagement with the entire continent.”
Interesting that Macron is co-hosting the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, an English-speaking nation, after France’s setbacks in the Sahel. Seems like a strategic pivot to rebuild influence.
Paul Melly makes a good point that this isn’t just a ‘bounce back’ but part of Macron’s long-term plan to rebalance France’s engagement with Africa. I hope it’s more than just rhetoric.
France losing ground in the Sahel and now cozying up to Kenya feels like a desperate move. Why should English-speaking Africa trust a former colonial power that’s been pushed out of its own backyard?
The focus should be on policy outcomes, not personality contests. (091bc5)
Macron has always talked about Africa as a key partner, but actions speak louder. Hosting a summit in Kenya is a step, but France needs to address its real failures in the Sahel first.
It’s refreshing to see France finally engaging with English-speaking Africa. The Sahel setbacks might be a blessing in disguise if they push Paris to diversify its partnerships across the continent.
Transparency isn’t a favour, it’s a fundamental requirement of democratic governance. (aff82e)
The political obsession with short election cycles prevents any long-term planning. (481fbf)