Macron Postpones Planned Visits to Nigeria, Senegal
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has postponed his planned visits to Nigeria and Senegal, which were scheduled for October 28 to 31, 2026.
A French presidential source disclosed the decision on Friday, October 23, saying the trip would be rescheduled for a later date. No new dates were announced in the reports available at the time of publication.
The announcement comes amid unrest in France, where demonstrations last weekend escalated into violence in several locations.
Authorities have been preparing for further protests, with security concerns placing pressure on the French government.
However, the presidential source did not explicitly identify the unrest as the reason for postponing the African tour. The source instead described the planned visits as part of a diplomatic and cooperation agenda, distinguishing them from Macron’s recent trip to the Gulf, which focused on securing energy supplies.
Macron’s planned visit to Nigeria was expected to provide an opportunity for discussions with President Bola Tinubu on bilateral relations and cooperation. The two countries have maintained ties covering trade, investment, energy, security and cultural exchange.
The proposed visit was also expected to build on Tinubu’s state visit to France in November 2024, during which the two countries discussed economic cooperation, investment and other areas of mutual interest.
The postponement has also affected the expected visit to Senegal, where Macron was due to continue France’s diplomatic engagement with the West African country.
As of Friday, no replacement dates had been announced. Further details about the rescheduled visits and the arrangements for the planned diplomatic engagements remained outstanding
