Denmark to close embassies in Mali and Burkina Faso

Denmark said it will close its embassies in Mali and Burkina Faso as part of its new strategy for cooperation with Africa.

The Foreign Ministry said on Monday that military coups in both countries had limited “the scope for action in the Sahel region”.

Instead, it plans to open new missions in Senegal, Tunisia, and Rwanda, and increase its diplomatic workforce in its embassies in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Copenhagen said that following the closures in Bamako and Ougadougou, it will appoint a special representative for the Great Lakes and Sahel region.

Relations between the two African countries and the West have deteriorated since Mali’s coup in 2020 and in Burkina Faso in 2022.

Both have turned to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support since then.

Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said his country’s reorganisation of its African priorities comes as the European Union aims to be the continent’s “preferred partner”.

He said the EU must demonstrate that it offers an attractive alternative to increasing Chinese and Russian influence in Africa.

Denmark’s new strategy will focus heavily on increase trade and development assistance for water initiatives.