United States President Donald Trump has recalled the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, alongside 29 other career diplomats serving as ambassadors and senior embassy officials, in a major overhaul aimed at realigning Washington’s foreign policy with his “America First” agenda.
The ambassadorial recalls, first reported by Politico, represent the latest significant shake-up of the US diplomatic corps under Trump’s administration. The move largely affects Africa, with ambassadors to 15 countries on the continent recalled.
The affected African countries include Nigeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Algeria, Egypt and Uganda.
Six countries in the Asia-Pacific region—Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam—were also impacted by the changes.
In Europe, ambassadors to Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia were recalled. South Asia was not spared, with Nepal and Sri Lanka affected, while in the Western Hemisphere, Guatemala and Suriname were also included in the recall list.
All the diplomats affected were appointed during the administration of former President Joe Biden but had survived an earlier round of shake-ups in the first months of Trump’s second term, which primarily targeted political appointees.
The US State Department defended the decision, describing it as a routine practice under any administration.
“An ambassador is a personal representative of the president and it is the president’s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda,” the department said in a statement.
Two State Department officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, disclosed that chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January.
“Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, although they typically remain in office for between three and four years,” the officials were quoted as saying.
They added that those affected were not being dismissed from the foreign service and may return to Washington for other assignments should they choose.
