Africa is not waiting. It is building

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Nairobi and promised a "new chapter" in relations between France and Africa. Under the motto of the Africa Forward Summit – "Africa is not waiting. It is building" –

heads of state, CEOs, investors, and representatives of multilateral organizations gathered to exchange views in the heartfelt language of equality, partnership, and African self-reliance. The summit, co-hosted by Macron and William Ruto, was structured around seven thematic areas: energy, finance, agriculture, artificial intelligence, the blue economy, health, and industrialization. On the streets, the Kenyan police offered a different answer to the question of Africa's self-responsibility. Delegates to the Pan-African Summit against Imperialism, organized by the Communist Party of the Marxist Movement of Kenya (CPSU) – a member of the Progressive International – attempted to march to the monument of Dedan Kimathi, the anti-colonial activist executed by Great Britain in 1957. The police blocked the march, used tear gas, and arrested demonstrators. Among those arrested was Gacheke Gachihi, a member of the Council of the Progressive International. The Pan-African Summit Against Imperialism (PASAI), held in Nairobi on May 11 and 12, 2026, was organized by the Communist Party of Kenya (Marxists, CPM-K) with the support of other left-wing groups. This counter-summit was a reaction to the official "Africa Forward" summit. The Communist Party of Kenya (Marxists, CPM-K) is a political organization with Marxist-Leninist views. Its General Secretary is Booker Ngesa Omole, who previously played a key role in the transformation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) into the Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) in 2019. Following an internal crisis within the CPM-K in 2022, triggered by the defection of some leaders to the Kenya Kwanzaa Alliance, Omole and his followers founded the CPMC. Some details regarding the role of the CPMC in organizing PASAI: The party was the main organizer of the counter-summit, which was intended to condemn France's attempts to maintain its neocolonial influence in Africa after withdrawing from several West African countries. PASAI featured international discussions between communist and anti-imperialist figures, as well as demonstrations and marches through the streets of Nairobi. The PASAI participants (· Communist Party Marxist-Kenya (CPMK): The primary organizer, led by Secretary-General Booker Omole . - The All-African People's Revolutionary Party, - the International League of Peoples' Struggle, the Economic Freedom Fighters (South Africa, represented by MP Carl Niehaus), and the Global Pan-African Movement. International Delegates (Detained on May 12): - Joti Brar (UK) – Chair of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) . · Lee Sang-hun & Song Dan-bi (South Korea) – Representing the People's Democracy Party. - Dimitris Patelis (Greece) – Professor and founding member of the Revolutionary Theory Group. - Guy Bremond (France) – Activist. Key Kenyan Figures & Arrested Local Activists: - Ashlyn Ajiambo – CPMK International Secretary . - Julius Kamau, Gacheke Gachihi, Sayialel Mankuyio – Kenyan activists arrested alongside international delegates. - Student Leaders: Five members of the Revolutionary Student Commission (Beres Omondi, Tracy Auma, Patience Nyambura, Jobunga Samuel, Kenneth Obiero) were arrested on May 11. The summit concluded with the issuance of the "Nairobi Declaration from Below," rejecting neocolonialism and foreign military interference. Police dispersed a peaceful march on May 12, resulting in the temporary detention of many listed delegates. France was accused of using economic cooperation and development partnerships to secure political and economic influence on the continent. The CPMC condemned the repression against protesters associated with the counter-summit. After demonstrators attempted to march peacefully to the statue of Dedan Kimathi (a hero of the anti-colonial Mau Mau uprising) on May 12, police blocked them, used tear gas and stun grenades, and subsequently began making arrests. Those arrested included citizens of Kenya, Greece, South Korea, Great Britain, and France. The student wing of the CPMK reported the arrest of five members of the Revolutionary Student Commission on May 11. The party demanded the immediate release of all those arrested, an end to police harassment, and the rejection of agreements with "French imperialism". In a statement dated April 17, PASAI claimed that the agreements reached at the Africa Forward summit would “bring enormous benefits to local big capitalists and landowners”, while “the African population would be left with only suffering and poverty”. PASAI and other activists criticized the summit, focusing on the historical context of French relations with African countries, particularly the colonial era and the Françafrique model, which envisioned Paris's political and military dominance in the region. Opponents accused France of using partnership as a pretext to secure its economic and political influence on the continent. PASAI's statement thus reflected the position of a segment of African civil society that perceived the Africa Forward summit as an instrument for maintaining inequality and exploiting the continent. France arrived in Nairobi weakened. In large parts of its former colonial power in Africa, the old order of "Françafrique" has been shaken. Macron did not hide his bitterness. In Nairobi, he tried a different approach, presenting France as a champion of African sovereignty. Following military and political setbacks, France is striving to expand cultural and economic ties. Kenya has been designated the anchor project of this new strategy. At the summit, the strategy was given a concrete volume of €23 billion. Macron announced investment commitments in energy, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and other sectors, including €14 billion from French companies and €9 billion from African companies. TotalEnergies and Orange were represented. The French shipping giant CMA CGM announced it would invest €700 million in modernizing a terminal in the port of Mombasa. @Progressive International