Macron halts Kenya meet, faces backlash

AP

Dakar

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after interrupting a panel discussion at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya and demanding silence from the audience.

Macron walked onto the stage during a session featuring artistes and young entrepreneurs, accusing attendees of showing a “total lack of respect” by talking over speakers. He later took the microphone and told the audience in English that he wanted to “restore order”.

Videos of the heated excha­nge quickly spread on social media, drawing criticism and mockery, while some praised his intervention. “Just imagine what would happen if an African leader did the same thing in America or Europe,” Thierno Mbaye, a history student in Senegal’s capital Dakar, said.

The summit comes amid growing tensions between France and several former colonies in West Africa, where Paris has faced criticism over its political and military influence.

Macron also drew backlash after describing himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference alongside Kenyan President William Ruto. Critics said the remark ignored France’s colonial history in Africa. Macron said France’s renewed engagement with Africa would respect the “sovereignty and autonomy” of African nations.