OUAGADOUGOU — The Kingdom of Sweden is set to close its embassies in Burkina Faso and Mali by the end of 2024 as part of a strategic shift in its West African diplomatic engagements, opting instead to open a new embassy in Senegal in 2025. This move is part of Sweden's broader strategy to adopt a more assertive regional approach in addressing cross-border development and security challenges.

According to Burkina Information Agency, this decision emerged from a review aimed at enhancing Sweden’s diplomatic effectiveness across West Africa. The future embassy in Dakar is envisioned to have a wide geographic and thematic scope, reflecting Sweden’s commitment to a more consolidated presence in the region. Discussions with Senegalese authorities are ongoing, with the objective of establishing this new embassy by 2025. Despite the closures, Sweden intends to maintain robust bilateral relations with both Burkina Faso and Mali. This announcement comes at a time when Burkina Faso, under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, is actively welcoming new diplomatic ties, having recently accredited ten new ambassadors from countries including Germany, Russia, and the United States.