Macron faces backlash for interrupting Africa summit panel in Kenya
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect,” accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. … The post Macron faces backlash for interrupting Africa summit panel in Kenya appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
Black News 
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience.
Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect,” accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. He had earlier described himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference.
The summit is meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent, a shift from a former colonial power seen as dominating to what Paris describes as a partnership of equals. On Tuesday, Macron announced a $27 billion investment into various sectors in Africa, including energy, artificial intelligence and agriculture.
Videos of Macron’s heated intervention on Monday quickly spread across social media, drawing a mix of mockery, praise and criticism.
Appearing visibly frustrated by the noise in the room, Macron abruptly walked onto the stage and asked the speaker to hand him the microphone, saying he would “restore order.”
Addressing the audience in English, he criticised attendees for talking over the speakers and creating disruptions during the session.
Some audience members applauded the intervention, but Macron also drew criticism over his response.
“Just imagine what would happen if an African leader did the same thing in America or Europe,” said Thierno Mbaye, a history student at a university in Senegal’s capital, Dakar.
“He acted like a schoolteacher scolding children,” Mbaye told The Associated Press.
The intervention also drew criticism in France.
“It’s stronger than him: as soon as he sets foot on the African continent, he can’t help but behave like a coloniser,” Danièle Obono, a lawmaker for the hard-left party France Unbowed, said in a post on X.-AP
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
The post Macron faces backlash for interrupting Africa summit panel in Kenya appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
