French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire after interrupting a panel discussion at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience.
Macron walked onto the stage to scold attendees over what he described as a ‘total lack of respect’, accusing them of talking over speakers during a session featuring artists and young entrepreneurs. Earlier, during a press conference, he had referred to himself as a ‘Pan-Africanist’.
The summit is intended to present France’s renewed vision for Africa—moving away from the image of a former colonial power exerting influence toward what Paris calls a relationship based on equal partnership.
On Tuesday, Macron announced investments worth USD 27 billion across Africa in sectors such as energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture. Videos of his tense intervention during Monday’s event rapidly circulated online, sparking a wave of reactions ranging from ridicule and criticism to support.
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Visibly irritated by the noise inside the hall, Macron suddenly stepped onto the stage and requested the microphone from the speaker, saying he intended to ‘restore order’.
Speaking in English, he criticised members of the audience for creating disturbances and speaking while presenters were addressing the gathering. While some attendees applauded his actions, others strongly objected to his conduct.
“Just imagine what would happen if an African leader behaved this way in America or Europe,” said Thierno Mbaye, a history student in Dakar. “He behaved like a teacher scolding schoolchildren,” Mbaye added. Backlash also emerged in France, where critics accused Macron of displaying a paternalistic attitude.
“It’s stronger than him: the moment he arrives in Africa, he cannot stop acting like a coloniser,” said Danièle Obono of the hard-left party France Unbowed in a post on X.
The Africa Forward Summit, which concluded on Tuesday with a declaration signed by 30 heads of state, comes at a time of worsening relations between France and many of its former colonies in West Africa.
France has historically maintained strong political, economic and military influence in the region through a system often referred to as ‘Françafrique’, which involved stationing thousands of French troops across former colonies.
Following years of criticism from African governments and opposition groups accusing Paris of adopting a condescending and heavy-handed approach, France has significantly reduced its military footprint in the region. Its troop withdrawal from Senegal was completed in July.
Macron had already triggered controversy before the summit after declaring during a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto on Sunday that ‘we are the true Pan-Africanists’.
“We believe Africa is a continent with immense potential and enormous opportunities to build,” Macron had said. Pan-Africanism is an ideology advocating unity among African people and the dismantling of colonial structures. Given France’s colonial legacy on the continent, Macron’s comments quickly went viral and faced sharp criticism online.
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