Macron Reaffirms Support for Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed Despite Tigray War Criticism
French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his African tour with a strategic visit to Ethiopia on May 13, 2026, reaffirming his strong diplomatic ties with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This gesture comes despite international criticism regarding the deadly conflict and alleged massacres in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022. Following the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, Macron became the first French leader to address the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. He met with AU Commission President Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, discussing plans for an international conference in Paris later in 2026 to finance the AU Peace Fund. Macron and Ahmed jointly visited the Addis Ababa Science Museum and the construction site of the controversial $7 billion Chaka Project. The visit underscores the enduring personal rapport established since Macron’s 2019 trip, where he initially championed Ahmed as a liberal reformer prior to the Nobel Peace Prize award. The engagement highlights France's continued political support for Ethiopia's leadership amidst ongoing scrutiny of human rights records.
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