Kenyan President: Africa Forward presents an opportunity to build a future partnership with France that achieves mutual progress

Special Report: Nairobi

Kenyan President William Ruto said the Africa Forward Summit offers a unique opportunity for Africa and France to build a future partnership that achieves shared progress and strengthens Economic transformation Long-term for the continent.

Accelerating the transformation requires mobilizing local resources.

Speaking at the official opening of the summit on Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya, Ruto added, “We are fully aware of what we must achieve to unleash Africa’s enormous potential and drive its transformation. This includes mobilizing domestic resources for large-scale African development, reforming the international financial system, and developing transport, logistics, and connectivity infrastructure.”.

The goals include the transformation of the energy sector.

The goals include the transformation of the energy sector and green manufacturing, developing youth skills to promote creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and AI-led transformation.

The President added that the current circumstances require strong cooperation, renewed pluralism, and partnerships that are not based on hierarchy, but on mutual respect and shared responsibility.

Lasting partnerships are not built on dependency.

He explained that, based on this principle, we held the summit, believing that lasting partnerships should not be built on dependency but on sovereign rights, not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investments, not on exploitation or depletion but on partnerships that are win-win for all.

This came during the opening of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-chaired with French President Emmanuel Macron.

President Sisi is in attendance

The ceremony was attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic, Azali Assoumani of the Comoros, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, Mohamed al-Manfi of Libya, and King Letsie III of Lesotho.

Also in attendance were Hakainde Hishilema of Zambia, Mamadi Doumbouya of Guinea, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, Joseph Bokai of Liberia, Bassirou Diombay Faye of Senegal, Mohamed Idriss Déby of Chad, Douma Pokou of Botswana, Darambier Gokhul of Mauritius, John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Daniel Chabo of Mozambique, Michael Randrianrina of Madagascar, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Among those present were the Prime Ministers of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch; Eswatini, Russell Dlamini; Sao Tome and Principe, Américo Ramos; Tunisia, Sarah Zafrani; Tanzania, Mwijolo Nshimba; and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

The summit was attended by vice presidents, ambassadors, heads of delegations, representatives of countries, development partners, and others.