BRIC Team reports: The summit in Nairobi was once such an attempt.Was it a success? Here’s what happened at the summit:France’s President Emmanuel Macron attends the Africa Forward Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 [Brian Ingang/AP]What happened at the summit?Macron announced on Tuesday that France would invest 23 billion euros ($27bn) in African countries, particularly in energy, artificial intelligence, and culture. Following the wave of independence movements in the 1960s, France granted independence to several countries, but in most cases, did not remove military assets.Despite French troop presence, countries in the West African Sahel have continued to witness waves of instability, stemming from separatist movements as well as religious extremism.
Advertisement In 2012, insecurity in Mali escalated, perpetrated by separatists and armed groups working together. The crisis spread across joint borders into Burkina Faso and Niger.Amid the rising insecurity, and upon a request from Mali, France deployed thousands of troops, including several fighter jets stationed in Chad, a former colony. Over the next decade, attacks declined but continued intermittently.However, when the military in Mali seized power in 2020, France condemned the coup led by current President Assimi Goita, angering the new government.
Background
At the time, its acronym stood for “Colonies Francaises d’Afrique” (French Colonies in Africa).There are two versions: the West African CFA franc and the Central African franc. Collectively, about 14 countries with a combined population of around 210 million use it, including the AES states.The CFA has a fixed exchange rate that is tied to France’s own currency, the euro. South Africa also holds significant numbers.These businesses range from telecommunication companies like Orange to energy companies like TotalEnergies and Orano, as well as banks like Societe Generale.In the West African Sahel, French investments are facing turbulent times amid tensions with the military governments.
Key facts
- The summit in Nairobi was once such an attempt.Was it a success?
- Advertisement In 2012, insecurity in Mali escalated, perpetrated by separatists and armed groups working together.
- At the time, its acronym stood for “Colonies Francaises d’Afrique” (French Colonies in Africa).There are two versions: the West African CFA franc and the Central African franc.
What this means
Advertisement In Niger, for example, Orano, which has mined uranium in the country for 50 years, said it lost control of its local subsidiaries after the 2023 coup. Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is known as the largest French-speaking city in the world.Which country is France turning to now?Paris is swapping military support and development aid for pure commerce, analysts say.“While headlines often frame this as ‘France leaving Africa’, our data suggests the reality is more a redistribution of influence than a full retreat,” Lefang said.France has notably moved closer to Nigeria and Kenya, with which it does not have a colonial history.
The contract has now been handed to a Chinese company.
