On the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, François Picard is pleased to welcome celebrated historian and political theorist Achille Mbembe. He offers deep insight into a continent in the midst of profound psychological, sociopolitical and economic transformation. Author of "The Earthly Community" and one of Africa's leading voices on post-colonial sovereignty, Mbembe argues that while institutional change is slow-moving, a seismic change is underway: "What has ended is the rule of gerontocracy. It has ended in the minds of the people. That is what matters."
Kenyan conservationists are slowly reintroducing a rare species of antelope into the wild. Dubbed the 'ghost of the forest' for its ability to camouflage itself, very few mountain bong antelopes remain, as many were decimated by diseases in the 1960s.
On the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit at Strathmore University, François Picard is pleased to welcome Cameroonian-born historian, writer, and political thinker Joseph-Achille Mbembe. He offers deep insight and a multidimensional analysis of a continent in the midst of profound psychological, sociopolitical and economic transformation. Author of The Earthly Community and one of Africa’s leading voices on postcolonial sovereignty, Mbembe argues that while institutional change remains uneven, a deeper rupture has already occurred: “What has ended is the rule of gerontocracy… It has ended in the minds of the people. And that is what matters.” For Mbembe, contemporary Africa is neither a story of collapse nor uncomplicated renewal, but a continent moving “in multiple directions at the same time,” where “chaotic situations, almost cataclysmic” coexist with “attempts at reinventing democracy from below.” Driven increasingly by young people, women, intellectuals, and civil society actors, these struggles, he argues, may determine whether Africa’s new sovereignty becomes merely another scramble for resources, or the foundation of more open, durable societies. Ultimately, Mbembe insists that Africa’s future will not be built on deficit narratives, but on civilisational confidence: “Africa must build not on the basis of what it lacks, but on the basis of what it already has.”
In Kenya, dozens of heads of states are gathered for the two-day Africa Forward summit, meant to platform the best of Africa and channel ressources to opportunity there. The summit is co-hosted with France and more than 23 billion euros of investment has already been pledged because of it. But it is also hosted in an English-speaking country for the first time, as France turns towards Anglophone Africa while its influence in former colonies dwindles. FRANCE 24's Tom Canetti tells us more.
At the Africa Forward summit in Kenya, French President Emmanuel Macorn is hoping to boost a new kind of partnership with African countries. France has long maintained a policy of economic, political and military sway over its former colonies dubbed Françafrique, which included keeping thousands of troops in the region. But after years of criticism from leaders and opposition parties in those countries over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach, France has been forced to withdraw most of those troops. FRANCE 24's Douglas Herbert looks at how Macron aims to do that, in the face of other big investors.
Ahead of the second day of the Africa Forward summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that it had raised 23 billion euros in investment on the continent. As France pitches a 'partnership of equals' with African countries, it aims to distance itself from its neocolonial past. This comes as it completes a military withdrawal from West African countries, which has been seen as a sign of its declining influence on the continent. FRANCE 24's Tom Canetti tells us more on what to expect from this second day from Nairobi.
Nations like Kenya are looking to scale up their ability to meet Africa's artificial intelligence needs. Recently, the likes of Zambia, Zimbabwe and most recently Ghana turned down deals to store citizens' data in the United States. For France, a summit like the Africa Forward one in the Kenyan capital Nairobi is an opportunity to offer a third way between US and Chinese tech. We bring you a special edition of The Debate from the summit in Nairobi.
Day two of the Africa Forward summit in Kenya brings together leaders and top officials from more than 30 countries from across the continent as President Emmanuel Macron pitches a new French model for partnerships with African nations.
In tonight's edition: French President Emmanuel Macron urges investment in Africa as he co-hosts an economic summit in Kenya. Also, we take a closer look at the cost of some of the deeply rooted misperceptions and clichés about Africa still clinging on in societies. Plus Kenyan conservationists are working hard to boost the numbers of the critically endangered bongo antelope.
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.”
At the conclusion of the Africa Forward Summit, French President Emmanuel Macron will answer questions from FRANCE 24, RFI and TV5Monde journalists in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Watch the interview on FRANCE 24 on Tuesday, May 12, at 9pm (Paris time).
Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Douglas Yates, Author, Political Scientist and Professor and at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy. President Emmanuel Macron is co-hosting the Africa Forward Summit alongside Kenyan President William Ruto. entering what Dr. Yates describes as “a demarcation point.” After years of mounting hostility in West Africa, military ruptures in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and the growing presence of Russia and China across the continent, Paris is seeking to redefine its place beyond the historic confines of Françafrique.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced €23 billion investment in Africa focused on energy transition, digital and AI, the maritime economy and agriculture. Macron was attending the two-day Africa Forward summit in Nairobi aimed at renewing France's engagement with the continent.
The French president is currently in #Nairobi for the Africa Forward summit, a gathering meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent. It is the first time the summit is held in an English-speaking country , and is attended by more than 30 presidents, deputy presidents and prime ministers from across Africa. It also comes at a time where #France has undergone a series of setbacks in former West African colonies aiming to reduce its influence.
Videos posted online document the new wave of deadly anti-migrant violence that has been sweeping South Africa since late March 2026, killing at least seven people. Organised anti-migrant movements are inflaming tensions, which are exacerbated by widespread unemployment and persistent inequality.
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday aims to promote France’s new approach to Africa at the inauguration of the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, which is being held for the first time in an Anglophone country. The French leader is meeting 450 young people from across the continent and France, who are set to share their ideas for the future of the African continent. Watch FRANCE 24's live coverage of the event.
French President Emmanuel Macron began a visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, where he will promote France’s new approach to Africa based on partnership rather than influence. The gathering comes amid France’s military withdrawal from West Africa and renewed debate over its post-colonial role on the continent.
President Emmanuel Macron has chosen Kenya as the stage for a renewed French push to strengthen ties with Africa through business, diplomacy and culture. The Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday will bring together heads of state, executives and artists as France seeks to promote a partnership-based approach to the continent. FRANCE 24's Bastien Renouil reports.
Jihadist fighters launched a fresh wave of deadly attacks in central Mali that killed dozens of people, local and security sources said on Saturday. One local official said the latest attacks brought the death toll to more than 70 in recent days, as Islamist armed groups intensify assaults on villages across the region.
Seeking to rebuild French influence in Africa after a series of setbacks in former West African colonies, France will co-host a summit in Kenya next week aimed at strengthening political, security and economic ties with a range of African partners.
