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Norwegian flag lowered for final time as Oslo closes its embassy in Uganda
This photo shared by Norwegian authorities shows Norwegian ambassador to Uganda, Anne Kristin Hermansen (4th from right), posing for a photo with diplomats and officials at a ceremony in Kampala on July 26, 2024. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- Oslo envoy Anne Kristin Hermansen said closure of the embassy does not mean Norway "will disappear from Uganda."
At a quiet hotel ceremony, Oslo envoy Anne Kristin Hermansen lowered the Norwegian flag for a final time on Kampala soil in a symbolic gesture of official closure of the Norwegian Embassy in Uganda, according to a video shared on Friday by Norwegian authorities.
On October 13, 2023, the Scandinavian country said it was due to shut its Norwegian Embassy in Kampala and the Consulate General in Guangzhou, China in July 2024, citing need for structural reforms in Norway’s Foreign Service.
“It is with mixed emotions as we lower the Norwegian flag for the last time. The embassy is now closed but Norway remains engaged in Uganda,” Norwegian authorities said on Friday.
Kristin, who started her tour of duty in Uganda in August 2023, previously described the closure as a “consequence of a comprehensive reform of our foreign service.”
As of 2024, Uganda and Norway have shared strong uninterrupted diplomatic ties for at least 60 years.
According to Kristin, the East African country is Norway’s “largest partner for cooperation in higher education and research.”
“Uganda is a country where we can clearly see the results of our cooperation. This is particularly the case in the energy sector,” she said.
“A number of Norwegian civil society organizations are engaged in activities to improve livelihoods - not least in refugee settlements,” Kristin remarked in a May 21 Op-ed carried by Monitor.
The diplomat also expressed buoyancy that Oslo had made a difference in Uganda, adding that
“The Norwegian Development Financing Institution, Norfund, is actively looking to increase its investment portfolio. I am confident that the Norwegian footprint will continue to be visible also after the embassy closes,” she emphasized.
Announcing intent to close the embassy in Uganda, former Norwegian Foreign Affairs minister Anniken Huitfeldt last year indicated that diplomat positions from shut missions would be redirected to increase staffing at their Norwegian diplomatic and consular missions.
“At the same time, we must continually assess where it is best to maintain a presence in order to safeguard Norwegian interests optimally with the resources we have,” Huitfeldt noted.
The embassy in Kampala was also representing Norway in Rwanda and Burundi.
Closure of the post could pave way for its staff to be posted to Norwegian Embassies in Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa and Nairobi.
