The INCLUDE Knowledge Platform for Inclusive Development Policies is deeply saddened by the news that Melle Leenstra passed away in The Hague on January 8, 2025.

Melle was born in The Hague in 1976. He graduated from Wageningen University (carrying out research in Togo and Kenya). He started his career at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; during this period he held several posts in African countries (Uganda, Kenya, Egypt). During his post as desk officer for Zambia and Zimbabwe at the Ministry, Melle developed and started his PhD thesis at the African Studies Centre Leiden, which he defended successfully in 2012.

Melle’s love for Africa and his passion for connecting knowledge and policy/practice have run like a golden thread throughout his career at the Ministry. His latest position as Strategic Policy Advisor on Africa, or as Melle referred to it – Chief Knowledge and Inspiration Officer – brought all his interests together. Melle was the prominent advocate for realizing the ambitions of the latest Africa Strategy of the Netherlands. He took a particularly strong stance for realising collaboration on the basis of equality in partnerships. He envisioned such true partnerships between the African continent and Europe/the Netherlands, or as he called it, value driven collaboration from business to business, government to government and people to people. While he gave systemic issues great importance, he never lost sight of the essential issue of human factors and interpersonal relationships in international collaboration.

At INCLUDE, we have greatly valued Melle’s deep concern for Africa, his enormous drive to bring  the Africa strategy of het Netherlands to fruition and our invaluable exchanges with him, both professionally and personally. We will miss Melle, both as a colleague working in the field of international collaboration, equity, sustainability and justice, but also very much as a friend. We will continue to work on our common mission of creating truly equal partnerships between Africa and the Netherlands.

Melle always spoke with great pride and love about his family, especially his wife Asia and his daughters Zosia and Zuzanna. We wish his wife, daughters, family and friends much strength in these difficult times.

There is an African expression saying that the departed who is remembered is never truly gone. Melle, you will always be remembered by us and your legacy will live on. Rest in peace, dear friend!