By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Presidency has confirmed that Cyril Ramaphosa will not attend the France-Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya next month due to prior commitments.
French President Emmanuel Macron was hoping Ramaphosa could attend the Summit in Kenya.
Fullview has it in good authority that Ramaphosa politely declined Macron’s invitation to the France-Africa summit – not due to the G7 invitation withdrawal – but because of prior commitments.
The move was aimed at mending ties after he was uninvited from the G7 summit that Paris will host in June in Évian-les-Bains.
However Fullview learnt that France is discussing a state visit to Paris in July by Ramaphosa.
Macron is due to visit Kenya in May for the two-day Africa-France summit.
The Summit, scheduled for May 12 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), will be preceded and accompanied by a series of high-impact engagements designed to drive both policy dialogue and people-to-people connections, most of them hosted at the University of Nairobi on May 11.
These include the Africa Forward Literary Festival on May 8, a Civil Society Forum on May 10, a Youth and Innovation Engagement on May 11, and two high-level sessions on Creative Industries and Sports the same day.
The Summit will culminate in the ‘Africa Forward Le Concert,’ a flagship cultural diplomacy event at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Indoor Arena. The lineup features leading African artists including Youssou N’Dour, Fally Ipupa, Yemi Alade, Nomcebo Zikode, Savara, and Jose Chameleone, among others.
The Summit will spotlight artificial intelligence and digital transformation ecosystems. Other key areas include health sector investments, particularly local manufacturing of essential commodities, creative and cultural industries as economic drivers, and sports as an emerging frontier for investment and job creation.
Energy transition, infrastructure development, regional connectivity, and agriculture and food systems transformation will also feature prominently in what is being framed as a reset of Africa–France relations.
Reinforcing the economic weight behind the Summit, Arnaud Suquet, Ambassador of France to Kenya, Somalia, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, highlighted France’s sustained commitment to Africa and Kenya.
“Over the past decade, French investments in Kenya have grown significantly, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and services. Today, more than 140 French enterprises operate in Kenya. In the past decade, France has invested an estimated €1.8 billion in Kenya in sectors that drive employability and sustainability for a better future,” said Suquet.
France currently ranks as Kenya’s fourth-largest foreign direct investment partner and remains the leading bilateral partner in the country’s energy sector.