United States President Donald Trump has recalled the country’s ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, along with 29 other career diplomats, in a broad diplomatic reshuffle aimed at realigning Washington’s foreign policy with his “America First” agenda.
The move, first reported by Politico, marks one of the most extensive overhauls of U.S. diplomatic postings under the Trump administration. The majority of the recalls affect ambassadors stationed across Africa, with envoys from 15 countries — including Nigeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Algeria, Egypt, and Uganda — directed to end their postings.
In addition, six ambassadors in the Asia-Pacific region — representing Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam — were also recalled. Europe saw changes in Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia, while Nepal and Sri Lanka were affected in South Asia. In the Western Hemisphere, envoys to Guatemala and Suriname were also impacted.
According to two State Department officials who spoke with the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, the chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their appointments would conclude in January.
“Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, though their terms typically last between three and four years,” one official said. The officials emphasized that the diplomats were not being dismissed from the foreign service and could be reassigned to roles in Washington or other postings if they choose
