Speaking in interviews with Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report during a two-day economic summit in Nairobi, Macron said Europe remained committed to multilateralism, the rule of law and open trade while global powers increasingly pursued confrontational economic policies.

“Europe defends the international order, effective multilateralism, the rule of law, free and open trade,” Macron said, drawing a distinction between European policy and the intensifying trade rivalry between the United States and China.

The French leader accused China of creating economic dependencies through its control of critical minerals and rare earth supply chains, arguing that Beijing prioritizes domestic processing while limiting broader industrial development elsewhere.“China operates according to a predatory logic,” Macron said, adding that Europe instead aimed to build “a strategy of autonomy” shared between African and European economies.

Macron’s remarks come as France attempts to recalibrate its relationship with Africa after years of deteriorating influence in several former colonies, particularly in the Sahel region where anti-French sentiment and military coups have weakened Paris’ regional standing.

France withdrew troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following military takeovers between 2020 and 2023 that brought juntas to power and led to demands for French forces to leave.Macron defended France’s former military deployments in the Sahel, saying French troops had operated there at the request of local governments to combat jihadist insurgencies.

“When our presence was no longer wanted after the coups, we left,” Macron said. “That wasn’t a humiliation but a logical response to a given situation.”Despite acknowledging the enduring legacy of colonialism, Macron argued that Africa’s current political and economic difficulties could not be attributed solely to European imperial history.

“We must not exonerate from all responsibility the seven decades that followed independence,” he said, urging African governments to strengthen governance and institutional accountability.Macron, who has previously described colonialism as a “crime against humanity,” has sought since taking office in 2017 to redefine France’s relationship with Africa through economic partnerships and reduced military dependence.

He also called for reforms to international financial systems aimed at expanding guarantees capable of attracting larger volumes of private investment into African economies.

“A new era is about to start,” Macron said, expressing confidence that the Sahel region would eventually return to democratic governance under elected civilian leadership.

The Élysée Palace said Ambassador Stephane Romatet would resume his duties in Algiers more than a year after he was recalled amid diplomatic tensions between Paris and its former colony.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo is scheduled to attend ceremonies on Friday marking the 1945 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Algeria, accompanied by Romatet.The ceremonies commemorate the mass killings in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata on May 8, 1945, when French colonial authorities violently suppressed nationalist protests demanding greater political rights.

The events remain a deeply sensitive issue in relations between France and Algeria and continue to shape historical and political discourse in both countries.The French presidency said the decision reflected Emmanuel Macron’s intention to restore diplomatic engagement with Algeria.

“The President of the Republic’s desire is to address relations between France and Algeria with honesty” and “to restore an effective dialogue,” the Élysée said in a statement.Relations between Paris and Algiers have faced repeated tensions in recent years over migration policy, visa restrictions, security cooperation and disputes surrounding France’s colonial legacy in North Africa.

Macron has sought a more conciliatory approach toward Algeria during his presidency, including acknowledging abuses committed during French colonial rule, though disagreements over historical memory and political rhetoric have periodically disrupted bilateral ties.

France’s Louvre Museum, the world’s largest and most visited museum, is entering a period of uncertainty after the resignation of its president, Laurence des Cars, following a year marked by infrastructure failures, labor unrest, financial scrutiny and one of the country’s most significant museum thefts in decades.

Des Cars, who had led the institution since 2021 and became the first woman to head the Louvre, stepped down this week after months of mounting pressure over the museum’s management and the future of an ambitious €1 billion renovation project backed by President Emmanuel Macron.Her departure comes little more than a year after she formally warned France’s culture ministry that the Louvre’s condition had become increasingly unsustainable.

In a note to Culture Minister Rachida Dati, des Cars described overcrowded galleries, outdated technology, water leaks, damaging temperature fluctuations and deteriorating visitor facilities, saying the museum had reached a “worrying level of obsolescence.”The warning laid the foundation for “Louvre: New Renaissance,” a large-scale modernization plan unveiled by Macron shortly afterward in front of the museum’s most famous attraction, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The proposal includes major repairs, new visitor infrastructure, a separate exhibition room for the Mona Lisa with independent access, and a new grand entrance on the museum’s eastern side near the Colonnade de Perrault.The redesign would also require excavation beneath the Cour Carrée, creating new underground exhibition spaces. Officials estimate the total cost at more than €1.1 billion.The Louvre occupies a 360,000-square-meter complex that began as a 12th-century fortress before becoming a royal palace and later a public museum during the French Revolution in 1793.

It contains more than 400 rooms, roughly nine miles of corridors and over 600,000 objects in its collection, with around 35,000 on permanent display.Originally designed to receive about 4 million visitors annually, the museum welcomed 9 million visitors last year, driven largely by attractions such as the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.Supporters of the renovation argue the scale of visitor pressure makes major intervention unavoidable. Critics, however, question both the necessity and timing of the project, particularly as the museum faces immediate operational challenges.

Didier Rykner, editorial director of La Tribune de l’Art, said essential repairs and modernization were needed, but described the broader plan as unnecessary and financially risky.“It’s unnecessary, and it’s harmful,” Rykner said, arguing that Macron viewed the project as a presidential legacy initiative similar to earlier landmark cultural projects commissioned by former French presidents.

France has a long tradition of large museum projects linked to presidential terms, including François Mitterrand’s Grand Louvre project in the 1980s, which created the museum’s glass pyramid entrance designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. Georges Pompidou oversaw the Pompidou Centre, while Jacques Chirac backed the Musée du Quai Branly.Macron has maintained a close symbolic connection to the Louvre, choosing its courtyard as the setting for his 2017 presidential victory speech.

With his term ending next spring, the renovation plan has become closely associated with his cultural legacy.At the same time, the museum’s immediate problems have deepened.This month alone, two water pipes burst inside the building, including one in the Denon wing, where the Mona Lisa is displayed. In November, flooding damaged more than 300 documents in the Library of Egyptian Antiquities.

Late last year, the Campana gallery, known for its Greek ceramics collection, was closed due to structural weakness in supporting beams. Elsewhere in the Sully wing, offices were relocated because of concerns over floor collapse.Staff morale has also deteriorated sharply. The Louvre employs about 2,300 people, and unions have described working conditions as “untenable,” citing understaffing, poor pay and management decisions they called irresponsible.

Since last summer, repeated strikes have forced the museum to close fully or partially more than a dozen times.In a joint statement, employee unions said staff felt they were “the last bastion before collapse,” reflecting broader frustration over daily operations and resource shortages.This month, police arrested nine people, including two museum employees and two tour guides, over an alleged long-running ticket fraud scheme targeting Chinese tourist groups.

Investigators believe the operation may have cost the museum more than €10 million over the past decade.The most serious reputational blow came in October, when four men carried out a daylight theft from the Apollo Gallery, stealing diamond-studded Napoleonic crown jewels valued at €88 million.Investigators said the gang used a stolen truck fitted with an extendable ladder to reach an unsecured first-floor window, entered the gallery, smashed display cases and escaped on motorbikes within seven minutes.

Four suspects have since been arrested and remain under investigation, but the jewels have not been recovered.The theft intensified criticism of museum security and placed des Cars under further political pressure. Alexandre Portier, the conservative chair of a parliamentary inquiry on museum security, said the list of institutional failures would have triggered leadership change much earlier in many comparable institutions.

Des Cars acknowledged responsibility for part of the security failure but argued she was also facing consequences for earlier warnings about the museum’s structural decline. In comments to Le Figaro, she said she had faced “an unprecedented media and political storm” and believed conditions no longer existed for her to continue implementing reforms.Her successor, Christophe Leribault, takes over after leading the Palace of Versailles and previously directing the Musée d’Orsay and Paris’s Petit Palais.

The culture ministry said his priorities would include strengthening security for the building, collections and staff, while restoring trust inside the institution and advancing necessary modernization.The future of the New Renaissance project remains uncertain. Staff unions have described it as disconnected from the museum’s actual needs, while France’s state auditor, the Cour des Comptes, has warned it presents significant financial risk and argued urgent repairs should take precedence.Funding remains unresolved.

The Louvre expects €200 million to €300 million from licensing fees linked to its Abu Dhabi franchise, with the remainder expected largely from international donors. According to critics, donor support, particularly from the United States, has been slower than anticipated.The architectural competition tied to the project, expected to advance earlier this year, was suspended in February, adding further uncertainty to Macron’s timetable before he leaves office.

Rykner said the museum’s existing revenues from ticket sales, reserves, state subsidies and Abu Dhabi income were sufficient for repairs and a more limited modernization without committing to a large expansion project.He argued that pressure around the Pyramid entrance and the Denon wing could be eased through smaller additional entrances and alternative display arrangements for the Mona Lisa rather than a major underground redevelopment.

Speaking at a gathering of European leaders in Yerevan, Macron said a joint approach between Washington and Tehran was the only viable path to restoring navigation through the strait, a critical corridor for global energy supplies.

“What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran that is the only solution,” Macron said, emphasizing the need for diplomatic alignment to ensure safe passage.His remarks come as the U.S. military continues operations aimed at escorting vessels out of the waterway amid heightened regional tensions.

The situation has raised concerns among global energy markets and shipping operators over potential supply disruptions.Macron also reiterated France’s reluctance to engage in military action under uncertain conditions, stating that Paris would not participate in operations lacking a clear framework.

France, alongside the United Kingdom, has been working to build a coalition to secure the strait, contingent on broader de-escalation and stability in the region.

The warning came as negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain stalled following a ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran that took effect on April 8, with control of the strait a central dispute.

Trump said the operation, dubbed “Project Freedom,” would begin on Monday and described it as a humanitarian effort to assist crews stranded amid the disruption to shipping.

In a social media post, he said U.S. forces would work to guide vessels safely out of the waterway.In response, Iran’s military central command said any transit through the strait must be coordinated with Iranian forces, warning that “any foreign armed force especially the aggressive U.S. military” entering the area would be attacked, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB and attributed to Major General Ali Abdollahi.

The standoff has disrupted global energy flows, with Iran effectively restricting the movement of oil, gas and fertilizer shipments through the strait, while the United States has imposed countermeasures targeting Iranian ports. Maritime data cited by AXSMarine indicated that more than 900 commercial vessels were in the Gulf as of April 29.

The United States Central Command said the escort mission would involve guided-missile destroyers, over 100 aircraft, unmanned platforms and around 15,000 personnel.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the maritime security threat level in the strait remains “critical” due to ongoing military activity, advising vessels to coordinate with Omani authorities and consider alternative routing.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have so far yielded little progress. Iran has proposed a framework for negotiations, including reopening the strait and lifting blockades, while U.S. officials have indicated discussions are ongoing but have not detailed specific terms.European officials have urged a negotiated resolution, warning of the economic impact of prolonged disruption.

Emmanuel Macron called for a coordinated reopening of the strait, while Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul stressed the need for Iran to restore navigation and address nuclear concerns.Oil prices have risen sharply, trading about 50 percent above pre-conflict levels amid supply constraints linked to the strait, a key global energy corridor.

Speaking alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a visit to Athens, Macron said Article 42.7 of the European Union treaty was explicit in obliging member states to assist one another in the event of armed aggression.

“On Article 42, paragraph seven, we know that for us, it is clear and there is no room for interpretation or ambiguity,” Macron told reporters at a joint news conference.The provision, often described as the EU’s equivalent of NATO’s collective defense principle, requires member states to provide aid and assistance to a fellow member subjected to armed attack on its territory.

Macron’s remarks come as EU leaders have asked officials to prepare a detailed blueprint clarifying how the clause would function operationally, reflecting a broader reassessment of Europe’s strategic autonomy and defense readiness.

The renewed focus follows mounting concern among European governments over Washington’s long-term commitment to NATO, particularly after repeated political debates in the United States over burden-sharing and military support for allies.

France has long argued for stronger independent European defense structures, with Macron repeatedly calling for greater strategic sovereignty and reduced reliance on U.S. military guarantees.Greece, which maintains one of the highest defense spending levels in the bloc relative to GDP, has supported efforts to deepen European security coordination, particularly amid ongoing regional tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

While Article 42.7 was invoked only once by France after the 2015 Paris attacks its practical implementation has remained largely undefined, prompting calls for clearer procedures on military, logistical, and political responses.

Officials say the new framework under discussion is intended to ensure that the clause can function credibly in future crises, especially as the EU faces simultaneous security pressures from Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability across the Middle East.

Macron’s comments in Athens are likely to reinforce ongoing debates within Europe over whether the bloc should move beyond economic integration toward a more explicit collective defense posture.

The meeting at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in northwest London is intended to advance operational planning for reopening the strategic waterway when conditions permit, following what officials described as progress at international discussions held in Paris last week.

“The task today and tomorrow is to translate diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire,” Defense Minister John Healey said in a statement.

The London conference follows talks co-chaired in Paris by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron that brought together representatives from more than 40 countries to address security in the strait, a critical global shipping route.

British and French officials have emphasized that the proposed multinational force would be defensive in nature and deployed only after a durable peace agreement is reached in the region.The United States and Iran, the principal parties to the ongoing conflict, did not participate in the Paris discussions.

A two-week ceasefire between the two countries was due to expire at midnight GMT on Tuesday, but US President Donald Trump said shortly before the deadline that it would be extended to allow further negotiations.

Both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the truce, while the United States has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports.Downing Street had earlier indicated that a military planning summit would take place this week without providing further details

The truce, which began at midnight local time, marks a significant step in diplomatic efforts linked to a broader regional de-escalation involving tensions between the United States and . However, the Lebanese military said Israeli actions in the south constituted breaches of the ceasefire and urged residents to delay their return.

Despite the warnings, convoys of civilians were seen heading south toward their homes, with traffic building along coastal routes and damaged infrastructure, including bridges hit during recent hostilities. Residents cited strong attachment to their homes as a driving force behind their return.

International reactions to the truce were broadly supportive. The Kremlin welcomed the agreement, expressing hope it would prevent renewed clashes, while called for its continuation and urged both sides to uphold their commitments. also endorsed the ceasefire, describing it as a step toward lasting peace, while Iran’s foreign ministry framed it as part of a wider understanding tied to regional de-escalation.

The conflict in Lebanon intensified in early March when launched rocket attacks toward Israel, triggering a series of Israeli strikes. Fighting continued until shortly before the truce took effect, with casualties reported on both sides.

Under the ceasefire framework, mediated with US involvement, Israel retains the right to act against perceived imminent threats, while Lebanon is expected, with international support, to prevent Hezbollah from carrying out attacks. Israeli Prime Minister said the agreement could open the door to a broader peace arrangement but reiterated that disarmament of Hezbollah remains a key condition.

US President said he had spoken with both Israeli and Lebanese leaders ahead of the truce and suggested the possibility of high-level talks in Washington in the coming days, a development that could mark a significant diplomatic milestone if realised.

The ceasefire remains fragile, with both sides maintaining heightened alert levels as the situation on the ground continues to evolve.

France, host of this year’s G7 summit, has scheduled the gathering in Evian-les-Bains from June 15 to 17. The dates were adjusted to accommodate an event Trump is hosting at the White House on June 14 to mark his 80th birthday, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Trump’s relations with several G7 leaders have deteriorated amid tensions over his administration’s war with Iran and broader disagreements on security and diplomacy.

He has also issued repeated criticism of NATO, a defense alliance that includes all G7 members except Japan.Sources said it was not yet confirmed whether Trump would attend the Evian summit, and his absence would risk undermining the meeting at a time when Washington has expressed skepticism about multilateral forums.

The invitation to Versailles, a 17th-century palace built under Louis XIV near Paris, is intended as a high-profile diplomatic gesture highlighting longstanding ties between France and the United States ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4.

A senior White House official confirmed that Macron had extended the invitation, but said Trump had not yet decided whether to attend the G7 summit or the Versailles event.

Macron’s office declined to comment. A French official said planning for any bilateral visit remains at an early stage and that the format of the reception has yet to be finalized.

Lebanese state media reported fresh Israeli strikes, while the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for a building near the southern city of Tyre, signaling ongoing operations despite the broader regional truce.

Hezbollah, which entered the conflict by launching attacks on Israel on March 2, has not claimed any operations since early Wednesday. Three Lebanese sources close to the group told Reuters it had halted fire on northern Israel and Israeli forces in Lebanon as part of the ceasefire arrangement involving Iran.

The Israeli military said it “continues fighting and ground operations” against Hezbollah, underscoring that hostilities along the Lebanon front remain active.Lebanon’s army warned residents against returning to southern areas, citing ongoing Israeli attacks and the presence of advancing Israeli forces.

It urged civilians to avoid exposed zones until conditions stabilize.An AFP correspondent in the Tyre region reported limited civilian movement southward, despite the displacement of hundreds of thousands since the conflict expanded into Lebanon.

Hezbollah is expected to issue a formal statement clarifying its position on the ceasefire and Netanyahu’s assertion that Lebanon is excluded from the agreement, the Lebanese sources said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, while welcoming the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, said the situation in Lebanon remained critical and called for its inclusion in any broader de-escalation framework.