Reports say Denmark has unveiled plans to establish embassies in Tunisia, Rwanda, and Senegal and to bolster its diplomatic staff at existing embassies in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
This move follows the Danish foreign ministry‘s decision to implement a new strategy for strengthening partnerships with Africa.
“One of the most important foreign policy questions of this century will be whether African countries will orient themselves more towards the East or the West,” the Danish foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We have a clear interest in African countries looking to us in Europe to set the course for their future,” it added.
The Danish ministry also said it will shut down embassies in Mali and Burkina Faso due to the recent series of military coups.
Since 2020, Mali has been under the control of a military junta. It has been combating ethnic Tuareg rebels in the north with the assistance of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group after the severance of military ties with Western nations, including European Union countries.
As a result, relations between Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Western powers have worsened, with these three countries increasingly turning to Russia for support.
Frustration over the authorities’ failure to restore security has led to coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which the Danish foreign ministry has observed has significantly affected movement in the Sahel region.