Denmark to open three new embassies as part of ‘Africa strategy’

Denmark has announced the opening of new foreign embassies in Senegal, Tunisia and Rwanda and says it will also strengthen its “diplomatic muscle” in several other African countries.

Published: 26 August 2024 10:56 CEST

Denmark to open three new embassies as part of 'Africa strategy'

Denmark's foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and foreign development minister for Dan Jørgensen announce the opening of new embassies in three African countries. Photo: Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix

The new embassies were announced in a foreign ministry press statement and form part of a broader “Africa strategy” to be presented by the government on Monday.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen earlier this month gave advance notice of the strategy at the Moderate party summer conference, when he also said that it would include a programme to attract more African students to Denmark.

The new Senegal and Tunisia embassies will be completely new facilities, while the Rwanda embassy will be added to an existing Danish government office in the central Africa country.

Meanwhile, Danish embassies in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria will be upgraded to regional hubs, enabling better diplomatic coverage across broader regions of Africa.

The announcement means that Denmark will have ten diplomats in Africa by 2026.

Two embassies, in Mali and Burkina Faso, will be closed due to “very limited opportunity for presence in the Sahel region after a series of military coups in recent years,” the ministry statement said.

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‘Frustrated’

Holck was arrested in Denmark in April 2010 after Danish authorities reached a deal with India over the terms of his extradition, including a promise that he would not be given the death penalty and would serve any sentence in Denmark.

But a Danish district court in 2011 overturned the authorities’ decision, saying he risked mistreatment in India.

An appeals court later upheld the district court’s ruling.

In 2016, India again requested his extradition.

Holck’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, told AFP they were “very satisfied with the decision” on Thursday.

Christroffersen said he expected the prosecution to appeal the decision, like they did in 2011.

But given that two courts in 2011, and now the district court, had ruled that India could not guarantee his safety, he was confident the ruling would be upheld.

“We would be very surprised to say the least, if the High Court would reach another conclusion this time,” the lawyer said.

Earlier this week, Christoffersen said that his client was tired of the protracted affair.

“He’s frustrated that the case has dragged on for so long,” Christoffersen said.

“Now he’s hopeful that it will come to a close and that once it has gone through the Danish legal system, it will be clear that he will never be extradited to India.”

“He is going on with his life, but he cannot travel. He has his life in Denmark but it’s a burden on him,” he said. “He’s been called a terrorist without any factual merit for 28 years.”

In his 2008 autobiography titled “They Call Me a Terrorist”, Holck recounts the delivery of the arms during a flight that left from Bulgaria.

The court said the parties had three days to decide whether to lodge an appeal.