The Francophone Senghor University and Egypt’s African Ambitions

by Sebastien GOULARD

During his latest African tour in May 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Egypt, Kenya, and Ethiopia. The trip provided France with an opportunity to promote a more balanced partnership strategy with Africa.

Senghor University

During his visit to Egypt, the French President, alongside his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi, inaugurated the new campus of Senghor University near Alexandria. This academic institution, which opened its doors in 1990, aims to educate French-speaking African students for the development of Africa.

It is an instrument of the Francophonie. Its founding members are France, Canada, Switzerland, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Quebec, and Egypt, the host country of the university. The university is named in honor of Léopold Sédar Senghor, a renowned man of letters and the first President of the Republic of Senegal (1960–1980).

During the inauguration, the French President announced that the number of students should reach 500 per year. Priority is being given to the training of African executives for various international and regional organizations. The Egyptian government fully supports this initiative and is committed to strengthening the attractiveness of the university.

Serving Egypt’s Ambitions

Egypt has been a member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie since 1983. Although French does not hold any special status in the country, it was for a long time, including during the British protectorate, the language of the elites. The number of fluent French speakers is estimated at around 50,000, while occasional French speakers number approximately 3 million (around 3% of the total population). French is also taught in certain schools and high schools. The preservation of French-language education is also the result of political will.

The role of Boutros Boutros‑Ghali, United Nations Secretary-General from 1992 to 1996 and Secretary-General of La Francophonie from 1997 to 2002, should not be underestimated. This exceptional diplomat, who studied in France, remained deeply attached to the French language and worked tirelessly for peace around the world. Egypt thus promoted the use of French in international treaties in the Middle East in order to counterbalance the influence of English, a language regarded as less “neutral” because of the American position in various Middle Eastern conflicts.

Today, French remains an important instrument of Egypt’s influence strategy in Africa and beyond, and Senghor University fully fits within this strategy.

At the United Nations

Since 2005, Cairo has advocated for a profound reform of the UN Security Council, including the addition of at least two permanent African members with veto rights. This demand was reiterated by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during the France-Africa Summit in Nairobi. Africa is the world’s second most populous continent after Asia and is experiencing strong demographic growth, yet its representation within UN institutions, particularly on the Security Council, remains limited.

Furthermore, Egypt also supports the declarations of Bahrain and the Arab League calling for better representation of Arab countries on the Security Council.

If Egypt wishes to obtain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, it must strengthen its relations with all African countries, particularly French-speaking African nations. The development of Senghor University could become one of the tools used to promote this objective.

In the African Economy

For several years now, Egypt has experienced major economic development, notably reflected in the construction of new infrastructure. Egypt is now the second-largest economy in Africa after South Africa. Egyptian companies are becoming increasingly active across the African continent, although Egyptian exports remain largely concentrated toward neighboring countries such as Sudan, Libya, and the Maghreb states.

There has also been growth in imports of raw materials from Sub-Saharan Africa into Egypt. The country could become a major hub linking Central African countries with the markets of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. To develop new networks, particularly in West and Central Africa, the French language can serve as a catalyst for Egyptian businesses. The fact that future African leaders are being trained in Egypt, in Alexandria, should also help create lasting ties between Egypt and the continent as a whole.