France’s President Emmanuel Macron has hosted a high-level meeting of heads of state and business leaders alongside his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, as Paris continues to pivot to other parts of the continent due to its strained relations with French-speaking West African countries. The conference, which was held on Monday and Tuesday in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, was France’s first Africa summit in an English-speaking country. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Macron tours East Africa amid push to redefine France’s role in Africa list 2 of 4 Kenya hosts France’s Macron: Why the relationship matters to both list 3 of 4 France’s Macron announces $27bn investment in Africa at Kenya summit list 4 of 4 Burkina Faso dissolves more than 100 NGOs and civil society groups end of list Due to colonialism, French influence on the continent has been strongest in central and West African Francophone countries, which include those in the arid Sahel region separating the Sahara from the coastal south.…