Carl-Erhard Lindahl

Carl-Erhard Axel Lindahl (born 26 April 1935) is a Swedish diplomat. Lindahl had a long diplomatic career spanning nearly four decades. Starting as an attaché in 1963, he served in various roles across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, including as ambassador to multiple countries such as Guatemala, Vietnam, and Peru. Notably, he contributed to Mozambique's foreign administration during a secondment in the late 1970s. From 1992 to 2001, he was stationed in Stockholm with ambassadorial responsibilities for numerous African nations.

Early life Lindahl was born on 26 April 1935 in Sölvesborg, Sweden, the son of Carl Lindahl, a merchant, and his wife Mildred (née Wikfeldt). On 15-20 August 1960, Lindahl, as a student at Lund University, was a Swedish delegate at the Student Movement for the United Nations annual conference in Lund. During his studies in Lund, he was also chairman of the Swedish Foreign Policy Association (Utrikespolitiska föreningen). He later earned a Master of Laws and Social Sciences (jur.pol.mag.) degree from Lund University in 1964.

Career Lindahl began his career as an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1963. He was posted to Lisbon from 1964 to 1965, served as an embassy secretary in Tel Aviv from 1965 to 1968, and worked as an administrative officer (kanslisekreterare), at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1968 to 1971. During this time, he also served with the OECD in Paris in 1970. From 1971 to 1976, he was first embassy secretary in Addis Ababa, followed by a posting in Brasília from 1976 to 1977, where he became an embassy counselor in 1977. He took a leave of absence from 1977 to 1979.

In 1979, Lindahl was appointed deputy director (kansliråd) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He served as minister in Guatemala City and Managua from 1979 to 1981, and as ambassador to Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Managua, and San José from 1981 to 1983. In 1983, he returned to Stockholm as ambassador, before serving in Vientiane, Laos, from 1983 to 1984, and in Hanoi as ambassador from 1985 to 1989. He was then ambassador to Lima and La Paz from 1989 to 1992.

Personal life In 1988, Lindahl married Le Bich Hanh.