Macron: France and Europe Are Africa’s Genuine Partners, Not Its ‘Predators’

Casablanca — French President Emmanuel Macron defended France’s role in Africa during a visit to Kenya, saying European countries are “not the predators of this century” on the continent and pointing instead to China’s growing economic influence.

Macron made the comments in an interview published Monday by Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report during the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi. Europe was defending “international order, effective multilateralism, the rule of law, and free and open trade,” he argued. Macron contrasted this European attitude to that of the United States and China, which he accused of operating through commercial confrontation and power politics.

Macron argued that China had adopted a “predatory” approach toward Africa’s critical minerals and rare earth resources by processing them domestically and creating global dependencies. France and Europe, he said, were proposing a different model based on shared autonomy for both Europe and Africa, so neither side would become dependent on “a new empire.”

The French president also renewed calls to reform the global financial system to make it easier for private investors to finance projects in Africa. That issue is expected to dominate discussions at the Africa Forward summit co-hosted by Kenya and France in Nairobi.

No French ‘backyard’ in Africa

In Nairobi, Macron held talks with Kenyan President William Ruto before the two leaders addressed reporters at the State House.

During the joint press conference, Macron declared that the era of France’s African “backyard” was over. He said France no longer viewed francophone Africa as a zone where French companies were automatically guaranteed contracts or where Paris could shape governments behind the scenes.

“This is finished,” Macron said, adding that France now believed in “balanced partnerships” and the sovereignty of African states.

His comments come after Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger pushed French troops out following military coups between 2020 and 2023. Macron insisted French forces had been deployed in the Sahel at the request of those governments to fight jihadist groups. When their presence was no longer wanted, France left.

“That was not a humiliation,” he said. “It was the logical response to a given situation.”

The Sahel would eventually return to democratic governance, Macron said, insisting that African leaders themselves had responsibilities beyond the legacy of colonialism. He noted that while he had strongly condemned colonization since taking office in 2017, African governments should also improve governance and accountability.

Kenya has become a key partner for France as Paris seeks stronger ties beyond francophone Africa. Ruto welcomed the relationship but stressed that Africa wanted partnerships based less on aid and loans and more on investment and mutual benefit.

While President Emmanuel Macron champions a shift away from colonial-era influence in sub-Saharan Africa, France’s recent “reset” with Morocco highlights a transition from dominance to a pragmatic, interest-driven alliance.

Following the July 2024 reversal of France’s position on Western Sahara, the two nations finalized nearly €10 billion in infrastructure deals and are currently drafting a historic 2026 Friendship Treaty.

However, this reconciliation coincides with Morocco’s emergence as a strategic competitor. Through its “Atlantic Initiative,” Rabat is actively offering its own maritime and economic corridors to the same Sahelian nations that recently expelled French forces, signaling that the “new era” Macron describes is increasingly being dictated by African capitals rather than Paris.

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