The Ambassador of Sweden to Mali (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Mali) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the head of state of Mali and government of Mali.
History Sweden recognized the Mali Federation as a sovereign and independent state on 20 June 1960, in connection with its declaration of independence, as announced by Acting Foreign Minister in a congratulatory telegram to Mali's Prime Minister, Modibo Keïta. Simultaneously, a congratulatory telegram was sent by His Majesty the King.
Sweden's first ambassador accredited in Bamako was Karl Henrik Andersson, who held a dual accreditation from the Swedish embassy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, starting in 1964. The embassy in Abidjan closed in 1967 and responsibility for Mali was transferred to the Swedish embassy in Algiers. Ambassador in Algiers presented his letters of credence to President Moussa Traoré on 28 May 1969. Until 1980, the ambassador in Algiers was accredited in Bamako, then for a year from the Swedish embassy in Abidjan, before a Stockholm-based ambassador took over the role until the year 2000. In the 2000s, the Swedish ambassador in Dakar, Senegal, was accredited in Bamako.
Sweden opened an embassy in Bamako in 2010 and appointed a resident ambassador there. The ambassador was accredited in neighboring countries.
In August 2024, the Swedish ambassador to Mali, Kristina Kühnel, was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours due to a "hostile" statement by a Swedish minister. This move underscored Mali's shift away from Western allies towards Russia, following Sweden's decision to phase out aid due to Mali's ties with Moscow. Relations between Mali and Western nations had deteriorated as Mali, ruled by a military junta, increasingly aligned with Russia.
List of representatives NamePeriodResident / Non-residentTitleResident / Concurrent accreditationNotesPresented credentialsRefKarl Henrik Andersson1964–1967 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in AbidjanClaës König1968–1972 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Algiers28 May 1969Jean-Jacques von Dardel1972–1974 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in AlgiersHarald Edelstam1975–1979 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in AlgiersStig Brattström1979–1980 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in AlgiersHans-Olle Olsson1980–1981 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Abidjan–1982–1982 Non-residentAmbassadorVacantErik Cornell1983–1988 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in StockholmBengt Holmquist1989–1992 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm–1993–1994 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in StockholmVacantMagnus Faxén1994–1995 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in StockholmNils-Erik Schyberg1996–1998 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm–1999–2000 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in StockholmVacantBo Wilén2000–2002 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in DakarAnnika Magnusson2002–2005 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in DakarAgneta Bohman2006–2010 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in DakarCarin Wall2010–2013 ResidentAmbassadorEva Emnéus2013–2018 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Niamey (from 2015), Nouakchott (from 2015), and Ouagadougou (from 2015)Jessica Svärdström1 September 2018 – 2019 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to OuagadougouDiana Janse2019–2021 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Niamey (from 2020)Kristina Kühnel2021 – August 2024 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Niamey (from 2023)
See also Embassy of Sweden, Bamako
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