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Marshal of Chad attends Africa Forward Summit in Kenya

May 12, 2026

By Djinodji SOLMENGAR Rodrigue

NAIROBI, Kenya — President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno arrived in Kenya on Monday, May 11, to participate in the Africa Forward Summit, a meeting focused on reshaping cooperation between Africa and France.

Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron are hosting the two-day summit, which runs from May 11 to 12 in Nairobi.

The summit brings together African heads of state and government, business leaders, and development partners to discuss practical ways to strengthen ties between Africa and France.

Organizers aim to:

  • strengthen strategic and economic partnerships;
  • stimulate investment across the continent;
  • accelerate climate solutions;
  • and expand opportunities for young people.

President Mahamat Deby’s participation highlights Chad’s interest in ‘attracting investment and deepening international cooperation on development, climate resilience, and youth employment’.

The Nairobi meeting marks the first time this summit has taken place in an English-speaking country.

The event follows President Macron’s 2017 speech in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where he called for a renewed and more balanced relationship between France and Africa.

Leaders are expected to announce new commitments to support innovation, sustainable development, and stronger Africa–France relations.

Djinodji Solmengar

Djinodji Solmengar

Djinodji Solmengar Rodrigue is a journalist with MRTV English, Chad’s first English-language media outlet, where he led English-language news coverage at its launch. Based in N’Djamena, his reporting explores political, economic, and social developments, with particular attention to everyday realities, informal sectors, and cultural life. His work also extends to football and broader societal issues, approached through field reporting and in-depth storytelling. Beyond reporting, Djinodji regularly conducts interviews focused on education, including the teaching of English in Chad, as well as conversations (with AFROTRONIX, to name a few) on culture and music. He is also active as an English–French interpreter, working alongside international media professionals. In this capacity, he recently supported and interpreted for a delegation of foreign journalists, including BBC representatives, during the PND Chad Connexion 2030 mission. Alongside his professional practice, Djinodji is pursuing a PhD, with research centered on the presence of China and Russia in Africa as portrayed in selected Commonwealth online media. His academic interests lie at the intersection of media, geopolitics, and discourse analysis. Earlier in his career, he taught English and authored a Master’s thesis examining the contextualization of English language teaching in Chad, reflecting a sustained engagement with educational challenges and policy.

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