On August 21st, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, traveled to Kenya to announce the Danes’ most recent contribution of DKK 300 million to The Danish Peace and Stabilization Program for the Horn of Africa.
Launched in 2011, The Peace and Stabilization Program for the Horn of Africa works to address political and economic instability, as well as social reform, in the region encompassing Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia (also known as the “Horn of Africa”).
While Denmark has similar “Peace and Stabilization Programs” across the globe, this one holds significant influence and value - as signaled by this most recent donation comprising over 65% of the last known global program budget (2). This perceived influence and value was further solidified by Minster Rasmussen during his initial announcement, when he stated* that “Kenya is an engine for development”, but that Denmark “will need to strengthen [their] partnerships with Kenya and other key players in Africa if [they] are to address common challenges” and fuel opportunity (1).
While under the guise of a large humanitarian donation, the nature, position, and history of Denmark’s influence on the African continent, namely in Ghana, begs the question - what are Denmark’s true intentions with this program?
Minister Rasmussen followed up his initial comments on the significance of securing stability and prosperity in Kenya with the message that if Denmark doesn’t “volunteer [them]selves” to do this, “others will” (1). This “if we don’t, others will” mentality is immensely troubling to digest, considering the nation’s previous colonial ambitions.
Mieke Van Der Linden, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, defined “the essence of the colonial protectorate**” as “a tool to exclude other European competitors [from gaining] African territory” (3). This definition is concerningly congruent with Minister Rasmussen’s “if we don’t, other will” mentality and Denmark’s overstated interest and investment in the economic development and prosperity of the nation. Perhaps, as Mieke’s definition suggests, this latest investment is a tool to discourage the involvement of other powerful western nations in the eastern region of Africa.
When put together, Lars’ recognition of the strategic and ever increasing economic value of the Horn of Africa, Denmark’s continued economic financing and support of the region, and Minister Rasmussen’s “if we don’t, other will” mentality, it is hard to ignore reminiscent nature of Denmark's involvement on the continent and similar prior motivations as an indicator that this may be about something more.
While it is highly unlikely that Denmark is aiming to colonize Kenya in a manner similar to the methods used during the colonial era, Denmark’s recent actions in the region lead us to wonder if this latest act of economic investment is a “modern” colonization method - intending to take advantage of Kenya’s openness to support and plentiful resources. Though no malice has been proven from these actions, many are left wondering - if not to aid our peers, what are Denmark’s true ambitions for eastern Africa and what is truly triggering their increasing involvement in the region?
*Quoted from the direct Danish to English translation. See cited source for original Danish verbiage.
**It’s vital to note that there is a difference between the colonialism this course has often alluded to and the idea of a colonial protectorate, to which Mieke Van Der Linden defined. Colonies are areas in which their colonizers “exercise full control over all aspects of the colony”, while colonial protectorates “retain their sovereignty”, but are still overseen by the colonizing power (4).
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