The Africa Forward Summit (AFS) 2026 held this month in Nairobi marks a defining moment in Africa’s evolving relationship with the rest of the world. For decades, Africa-France relations, and indeed much of Africa’s engagement with major global powers, have often been viewed through the narrow prism of aid, dependency, and donor-recipient dynamics. The Nairobi…
Nairobi — President William Ruto has called on African nations to take greater control of their development financing and reduce reliance on foreign aid and unsustainable borrowing, saying the continent must assert its rightful place in global decision-making. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit on Tuesday, which brought together heads of state, including French President…
Africa continues to advance and demands investment at scale, justice in global systems, and partnerships grounded in respect, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday. The UN chief was speaking at the opening of the Africa Forward Summit, co-hosted in Nairobi by Kenyan President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron. “The name of this…
Vice President Lucia Witbooi has urged French businesses to invest in Namibia, saying the country has made major progress in diversifying its economy beyond traditional sectors such as mining and agriculture. Witbooi made the call during a meeting with French businesses and the MEDEFI delegation on yesterday morning in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the…
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, joined Heads of State and Government attending the inaugural Africa Forward Summit 2026 at the State Banquet hosted by H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, at State House, Nairobi, yesterday evening.
Nairobi — Investment in Africa’s digital economy has been identified as a critical driver in unlocking cross-border trade and accelerating innovation across the continent. Speaking during a side event at the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said Africa possesses immense potential to develop digital solutions capable of addressing challenges…
Almost ten years after French President Emmanuel Macron’s Ouagadougou speech, which laid the foundations for renewed relations between France and the countries of Africa, Kenya and France are co-organizing the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on 11 and 12 May 2026. This renewal is built on a partnership of equals, based on shared interests and…
The 2026 Africa-France summit in Nairobi on May 11-12 is the first to be held in an African country that is not a former French colony. It is also the first to be held since the dramatic collapse of relations between France and a number of west African countries – notably Mali, Burkina Faso and…
Nairobi — French Emmanuel Macron briefly interrupted proceedings at a youth forum hosted at the University of Nairobi on Monday after calling out sections of the audience for disrupting a speaker during discussions at the Africa Forward Summit. The incident occurred during a panel discussion at a side event attended by President William Ruto and…
Nairobi — President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday engaged hundreds of young innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives during a youth dialogue session held at Taifa Hall, University of Nairobi, as part of the ongoing Africa-France Summit in Nairobi. The two leaders used the forum to reaffirm their commitment to supporting youth-led enterprises,…
