Macron Faces Backlash After Rebuking Audience at Kenya Summit
French President Emmanuel Macron has come under criticism after sharply reprimanding attendees during a summit in Kenya, with some African politicians describing his remarks as patronising and disrespectful.
The incident occurred on Monday at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, where Mr Macron interrupted a session after becoming visibly frustrated by noise from the audience while a speaker was addressing participants.
Taking the microphone, the French leader called for silence and accused some attendees of showing a “total lack of respect” to the presenters.
“Excuse me, everybody. I’m sorry, but it’s impossible to speak about culture with such noise,” Mr Macron said in English.
He added: “If you want to have bilateral discussions or speak about something else, there are other rooms or you can go outside. If you want to stay here, we listen to the speakers and play the same game.”
His remarks drew applause from parts of the audience, while the event host praised his intervention.
However, the exchange quickly sparked criticism online, with several African political figures accusing the French president of speaking down to attendees.
Kenyan politician Willis Evans Otieno said the comments were widely viewed as patronising given France’s colonial history in Africa.
“France carries a long and painful legacy on the continent, including colonial domination, economic exploitation and political interference,” he wrote on social media.
Former Zimbabwean MP Fadzayi Mahere also criticised Mr Macron’s tone, saying it was inappropriate for a foreign leader to “talk down” to Africans during an event on the continent.
The Africa Forward Summit brought together more than 30 African leaders as France sought to strengthen political and economic partnerships across Africa amid declining influence in several former French colonies in West Africa.
The Nairobi gathering marked the first time France organised the summit in an English-speaking African country.
During the summit, Mr Macron stressed the need for stronger cooperation between Africa and Europe, particularly in technology and artificial intelligence.
He announced that about €23 billion in investments had been mobilised through agreements involving French and African companies.
“A lot of solutions are made in the US or China,” Mr Macron said during a panel discussion. “We have a common fight, which is to build strategic autonomy for Europe and Africa together.”
