Nigeria Reestablishes Embassy in North Korea After Extended COVID-19 Hiatus
Click to start listening
Seoul, Dec 17 (NationPress) Nigeria has reopened its embassy in North Korea after a prolonged closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming part of a group of nations that are reinstating their diplomatic missions in the North.
Patrick Imodu Imologhome, Nigeria's charge d'affaires, revealed plans for the embassy reopening during a meeting in Pyongyang last Wednesday with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora, as reported by the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on its Facebook page last Thursday, according to Yonhap news agency.
Imologhome, who had just arrived in North Korea, outlined his intentions to reinstate the Nigerian Embassy in Pyongyang after a lengthy suspension due to the pandemic.
While specific details regarding the reopening were not disclosed, it is believed that the African nation has restored its diplomatic presence in order to resume activities in the North.
In early December, Russia's embassy in Pyongyang noted in a Telegram message that representatives from various diplomatic corps, including Nigeria and India, participated in an event to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Nigeria and North Korea established diplomatic relations in 1976. Reports from a UN panel of experts suggest that Pyongyang is suspected of conducting arms trade and business dealings with Nigeria, potentially in violation of UN sanctions against North Korea.
North Korea closed its borders in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which compelled foreign diplomats and humanitarian workers from international organizations to evacuate from the isolated nation. In August 2023, North Korea initiated the reopening of its borders.
Among African nations, only Nigeria and Egypt maintain diplomatic representation in North Korea.
During the pandemic, eight countries—China, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cuba, Russia, Syria, and Egypt—continued to operate their diplomatic missions in Pyongyang with reduced staff, according to South Korea's unification ministry.
This year, Nicaragua, known for its hard-line position against the US, has also opened an embassy in Pyongyang.
Countries such as Sweden, Poland, Brazil, and Iran have reopened their embassies in North Korea after previously withdrawing their embassy personnel during the pandemic, as reported by the ministry.
In September, Sweden was the first Western country to restore its embassy in Pyongyang. In November, Poland announced that its diplomats were visiting Pyongyang to work on reinstating their diplomatic presence in the North.
