French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-country African tour on Saturday, 9 May, with a stop in Alexandria, where he joined Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to inaugurate a new campus for Senghor University, a French-language institution dedicated to training African professionals in governance, health, and sustainable development. The new Senghor campus, located in the Borg El Arab area on the outskirts of Alexandria, spans ten feddans and includes academic buildings, a conference hall, and residential facilities. Macron described the project as “a remarkable global initiative” and praised Egypt’s commitment to investing EUR 60 million (EGP 3.72 billion) in the university, saying that francophonie “belongs to everyone who chooses to embrace the French language.” The visit carried weight well beyond the ceremonial. The two leaders held expanded talks in which they reaffirmed their strategic partnership and discussed the war in Gaza, with President Al-Sisi outlining Egypt’s efforts to consolidate a ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian aid, and advance a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Macron said France is keen to deepen its economic partnership with Egypt, praising the volume of bilateral trade and French investments in the country….
Macron Opens Africa Tour in Alexandria, Reaffirming Ties With Egypt
May 10, 2026
By Nadine Tag
Journalist