Emmanuel Macron has concluded his Africa tour with high-level discussions in Ethiopia focused on reforming global governance, particularly the long-standing demand for stronger African representation at the United Nations Security Council.
During his visit, Macron held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as well as meetings with Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and António Guterres. The discussions centred on inclusive international governance and the need to better reflect Africa’s role in global decision-making.
A joint readout indicated that the leaders acknowledged the necessity of African representation within key global institutions, reinforcing calls for reform of the UN Security Council to improve its legitimacy and effectiveness.
Macron, who also visited Egypt and Kenya, reiterated in earlier remarks at the Africa Forward Summit—co-hosted by France and Kenya—the need for permanent African seats on the Security Council.
The Summit’s closing declaration similarly urged urgent reform of the Council to make it more representative of today’s global realities, noting Africa’s exclusion despite its population of more than 1.4 billion people. Separately, a new $63.9 million financing agreement was announced to support Ethiopia’s green energy and digitalisation programme, alongside Macron’s broader pledge of $27 billion in investment mobilization to support inclusive growth across Africa.