NAIROBI, Kenya — African Heads of State, Prime Ministers, diplomats, and global development partners gathered at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre for the opening of the 2026 Africa Forward Summit co-chaired by President William Samoei Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to President Ruto, the summit brought together leaders from across Africa alongside the United Nations and the African Union Commission.
Heads of State and Government Present
Presidents
- Paul Kagame — Rwanda
- Alassane Ouattara — Côte d’Ivoire
- Abdel Fattah el-Sisi — Egypt
- Faustin-Archange Touadéra — Central African Republic
- Azali Assoumani — Comoros
- Mohamed Ould Ghazouani — Mauritania
- Mohamed al-Menfi — Libya
- Hakainde Hichilema — Zambia
- Mamady Doumbouya — Guinea
- Bola Ahmed Tinubu — Nigeria
- Joseph Boakai — Liberia
- Bassirou Diomaye Faye — Senegal
- Mahamat Idriss Déby — Chad
- Duma Boko — Botswana
- Dharambeer Gokhool — Mauritius
- John Dramani Mahama — Ghana
- Daniel Chapo — Mozambique
- Michael Randrianirina — Madagascar
Monarch
- Letsie III — Lesotho
Prime Ministers
- Abiy Ahmed — Ethiopia
- Aziz Akhannouch — Morocco
- Russell Dlamini — Eswatini
- Américo Ramos — São Tomé and Príncipe
- Sara Zaafarani Zenzri — Tunisia
- Mwigulu Nchemba — Tanzania
International and Regional Leaders
- António Guterres — United Nations
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf — African Union Commission
Vice Presidents, ambassadors, heads of delegations, development partners, and country representatives also attended the high-level summit hosted in Nairobi.