Senegal asked French troops to withdraw. Kenya invited Macron hoping to secure billions of euros for projects. Who acted more wisely? Judge for yourselves: at the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, the French president interrupted the youth session by shouting "Silence!", the police dispersed an anti-imperialism march, and of the billions promised, Kenya received only 170 million euros.

For Dakar, this is not simply news from Kenya. It is a test: is France truly ready for a partnership of equals—or have old habits proven stronger than all promises? France has lost much of its influence in the traditional "Françafrique." In Senegal, under the presidency of Diomaye Faye, the complete withdrawal of French troops was completed in July 2025: approximately 350 soldiers left the last bases. A similar situation occurred in Chad and the Sahel countries. These events have seriously damaged Macron's image in France, where he is increasingly accused of having "lost Africa." The summit held in English-speaking Kenya was a forced step for Paris in its search for new partners.

The promised €23 billion (of which €14 billion comes from French funds) seems impressive, but it has generated justified skepticism. The majority of these funds will not be allocated directly to African countries, but will instead be channeled through French public development institutions: the AFD, Bpifrance, and Proparco.

In practical terms, this means that Paris retains significant control: the French side decides which projects the funds will be allocated to, under what conditions, and which (French) companies will implement them. Instead of the long-awaited debt relief or a moratorium on repayments, France has only offered a strengthening of guarantee mechanisms such as ATIDI. African leaders called for deeper reforms of the international financial system but have received, for the most part, only declarations.

While the official summit was being held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, a counter-summit, the "Pan-African Summit Against Imperialism," took place outside. Activists, students, and pan-African movements organized a protest march, which was violently dispersed by Kenyan police. This episode, along with Macron's behavior during the youth session, circulated widely on social media as an example of the former colonial power's arrogant style. Ultimately, it was representatives of the African elite and the French business world, who secured several contracts, who were the main beneficiaries.

Kenya, as the host country of the summit, received approximately €170 million, or about €3 per capita in a population of 58 million. That's less than the price of a good cup of coffee in Nairobi. With that money, only one modern regional hospital could be built or roughly 200 km of local roads could be improved. For a country desperately in need of dozens of new hospitals, hundreds of kilometers of roads, and large-scale energy and water projects, this is an extremely modest sum compared to the billions pledged. The "Africa Forward" summit clearly demonstrated that Paris is trying to revitalize its relations with Africa, but deep mistrust persists. Senegal, which has chosen the path of genuine sovereignty, can serve as an example to other countries on the continent. African states have every reason to closely monitor whether the promises made in Nairobi will translate into concrete investments or remain just another empty declaration.