Denmark’s Princess Mary's Senegal trip cancelled over security
Crown Princess Mary and Minister for Development Ulla Tørnæs have cancelled a visit to west African country Senegal, in which they were scheduled to participate in a conference on child marriages.
Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the cancellation in a press statement.
“For reasons of security, the participation of the Minister for Development and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess in the conference must regrettably be cancelled,” the ministry wrote.
Details of exact reasons for the cancellation and how the decision was made were not given by the ministry, which cited security considerations for not releasing that information.
The visit, which had been arranged in partnership with the Save the Children charity, was part of a broader focus on child marriages. The focus on the issue continues despite the cancellation, the ministry wrote.
“It is very, very regrettable, because a ban against child marriage is a very important issue in terms of development policy,” Tørnæs told Ritzau.
“It is therefore important for me to stress that the Crown Princess and I being unable to participate does not mean that this issue will disappear from the agenda,” the minister added.
The US embassy in Senegal on Wednesday last week advised its citizens of a terror threat in the country’s capital Dakar. The embassy advised extra vigilance at establishments and hotels frequently visited by Westerners.
The embassy cited a “credible threat related to potential terrorist activity in Dakar” in the message posted on its website.
Both Canada and the United Kingdom have issued similar warnings to their citizens.
A west African country south of the Sahara desert, Senegal borders the Sahel region in which Islamist groups are known to operate.
READ ALSO: Princess Mary 'bridge walks' in Denmark
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Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the cancellation in a press statement.
“For reasons of security, the participation of the Minister for Development and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess in the conference must regrettably be cancelled,” the ministry wrote.
Details of exact reasons for the cancellation and how the decision was made were not given by the ministry, which cited security considerations for not releasing that information.
The visit, which had been arranged in partnership with the Save the Children charity, was part of a broader focus on child marriages. The focus on the issue continues despite the cancellation, the ministry wrote.
“It is very, very regrettable, because a ban against child marriage is a very important issue in terms of development policy,” Tørnæs told Ritzau.
“It is therefore important for me to stress that the Crown Princess and I being unable to participate does not mean that this issue will disappear from the agenda,” the minister added.
The US embassy in Senegal on Wednesday last week advised its citizens of a terror threat in the country’s capital Dakar. The embassy advised extra vigilance at establishments and hotels frequently visited by Westerners.
The embassy cited a “credible threat related to potential terrorist activity in Dakar” in the message posted on its website.
Both Canada and the United Kingdom have issued similar warnings to their citizens.
A west African country south of the Sahara desert, Senegal borders the Sahel region in which Islamist groups are known to operate.
READ ALSO: Princess Mary 'bridge walks' in Denmark
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