Denmark has announced that it will close its embassies in Mali and Burkina Faso as part of its new cooperation strategy with Africa.
The foreign ministry said on Monday that military coups in both countries had limited “room for maneuver in the Sahel region.”
Instead, it plans to open new missions in Senegal, Tunisia, and Rwanda and increase the diplomatic staff at its embassies in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Copenhagen announced that following the closures of Bamako and Ouagadougou, it would appoint a special representative for the Great Lakes and Sahel region.
Relations between the two African countries and the West have deteriorated since the coup in Mali in 2020 and in Burkina Faso in 2022.
Since then, both have turned to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the reshuffle of his country’s African priorities comes as the European Union aims to be the continent’s “privileged partner.”
He said the EU must demonstrate that it offers an attractive alternative to China and Russia’s growing influence in Africa.
Denmark’s new strategy will focus on increasing trade and development aid for water-related initiatives.
