Yesterday afternoon a plane carrying the last Danish soldiers from Afghanistan landed at Copenhagen Airport.

Their returns marks the end of a Danish military presence in the country that began almost 20 years ago.

“It is an essential foreign and security political chapter that has been closed with our long presence of soldiers in Afghanistan. They have made a great sacrifice for Denmark and our safety,” explained the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod.

The decision was made in the wake of the US announcing their plans in April to withdraw all of their armed forces by 11 September 2021.

Challenges ahead in Afghanistan
The Danish soldiers leave an Afghanistan behind that is still plagued with unrest and instability, and the foreign minister acknowledges the country’s troublesome future.

“Everyone can see that the challenges in Afghanistan are still monumental. It is still a country in need of engagement. Therefore, we’ll continue our civilian efforts,” said Kofod.

Over the last 20 years, 37 Danish soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, while seven have died due to disease, accidents or other causes, giving the country one of the highest numbers of fallen soldiers per capita.

Some 12,000 Danish soldiers have been stationed in Afghanistan since January 2002.