On Saturday, the President of the Republic chose Alexandria to open his five-day African tour, with a simple and distinctly French message: language and education as calling cards. Alongside President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he inaugurated the new campus of the Senghor University of the Francophonie in Borg el-Arab, praising a "magnificent universalist project." The image is carefully crafted, almost calculated, in a region where France seeks to maintain its voice without raising its voice.
In Nairobi, diplomacy moves from words to contracts
While there, the two heads of state also discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East, according to the Élysée Palace. Behind the photos, however, lies a less photogenic reality: the decline of French influence in several West African countries, the changing flags on some official buildings, and the competition from powers that invest and make promises quickly. Paris is therefore refocusing on educational and cultural cooperation, a less volatile area than military cooperation, more sustainable than mere declarations, and one that resonates with young Africans.
After a highly anticipated visit to the Qaitbay Citadel and a working dinner, the French president is scheduled to travel to Nairobi on Sunday to meet with William Ruto and sign agreements, including those between French and Kenyan companies. On Monday and Tuesday, the two leaders will co-chair the Africa Forward summit, presented as the first meeting of its kind with African heads of state since 2017 and, importantly, the first to be held in an Anglophone country. The tour will conclude on Wednesday in Addis Ababa with Abiy Ahmed: this Ethiopian leg of the trip will ultimately reveal whether France can still be a significant player in Africa by speaking less loudly but establishing a stronger presence.
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