France’s obesseion with English-speaking African countries!.

Cameroon, one of the remaining countries Paris can still count on in Francophone Africa, has diversified its cooperation ties with the Israeli training the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR, military accord with Russia, intensification of economic cooperation with China, Nigeria and other countries outside the Francophonie sphere.

Motivated by anti-French sentiment and military coups, the former colonies are seeking greater economic sovereignty, even though the noose of the FCFA is still dangling on their horizon.

In response, France has been compelled to pivot its strategy towards former British colonies like Kenya, to rebuild economic, rather than military partnerships.

That should explain why this week's France-Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, titled "Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth,” was the first out of 29, to be hosted by a non-Francophonie country.

The two-day event, which ended on Tuesday, "illustrates the desire to diversify [France's] alliances, in light of the recent diplomatic crises in the Sahel, by forging closer ties with East African economies," according to the Élysée.

Opening the summit, Kenyan President, Dr William Samoei Ruto, said: "Africa stands at a defining inflection point. Ours is a continent powered by a youthful, rapidly growing population- creative, ambitious, and determined to transform ideas into enterprises, and enterprises into opportunity". 

Speaking for the continent, he said: "Across our nations, innovation is not a distant aspiration, it is already driving progress. From fintech and artificial intelligence to climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy, African solutions are shaping global conversations". 

But beneath the "immense potential lies an equally urgent responsibility- to unlock the investments, partnerships, and financing frameworks required to scale these opportunities sustainably and inclusively”.

"It is within this context of momentum, ambition, and purpose that the Africa Forward Summit convenes. This high-level gathering reflects a renewed and forward-looking partnership between Africa and France, grounded in mutual respect, shared responsibility, and a clear commitment to delivering tangible outcomes," he noted.

For co-host, French President Emmanuel Macon, "Africa must be fully involved in global decisions. Peace, climate, technology and prosperity: none of these challenges can be addressed without it”. 

“That is why we are spearheading an ambitious reform of international governance, for a fairer, more representative and more effective multilateralism," he stated.

Macron then announced €23 billion investment in Africa, focused on energy transition, digital and Artificial Intelligence, AI, the maritime economy and agriculture.

The initiative aims at renewing France's engagement with the continent, after years of strained ties with its former colonies. The investments, Macron explained, include €14 billion in private and public funds from French entities, and €9 billion from African investors, focused on energy transition, digital and AI, the maritime economy and agriculture.

They would create 250,000 direct jobs in France and Africa, Macron said.

"We are not simply here to come and invest on the African continent alongside you, we need the great African business leaders to come and invest in France," he told the audience at Nairobi's convention centre.

"And that too is what underpins this relationship, now entirely free of hang-ups," he added.

The 2026 summit is explained by diplomatic watchers as "the latest example of President Emmanuel Macron’s new Africa doctrine, which he laid out in Burkina Faso in 2017". 

The doctrine’s three notable messages were: an apology for colonial wrongs; a neoliberal small-business approach to assistance programmes and the French resolve to develop new alliances outside French Africa.

But Africa is expected to spend nearly $90 billion on external debt payments in 2026; money that will not be invested in its development and the fight against climate change, as indicated in a document, signed by civil society organisations at the summit, which The Guardian Post published yesterday.

The document stated that "in the short term, there can be no financing for development and the fight against climate change (and its consequences) without the cancellation of unsustainable and/or illegi-timate debts by all creditors, including private creditors, of over-indebted African countries.”

It added that: "In the medium term, averting a repeat of the debt crises that have cyclically burdened African economies demands more than relief measures. It requires fundamental reform of debt governance," which Paris is not at ease with it.

Without France taking action to support debt cancellation policy for African countries, and freeing the 14 African countries still tied to the FCFA; with its colonial strings, its entrepreneur-led approach with English-speaking African countries remains uncertain and may just further beef up anti-French sentiments in former colonies.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3788 of Wednesday May 13, 2026