The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy roles as US President Donald Trump reshapes the United States’ diplomatic corps to align with his “America First” agenda, according to State Department officials.
Chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their assignments would end in January, two officials told the Associated Press (AP). The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the moves had not been formally announced.
The diplomats affected were appointed during the Biden administration and had initially remained in place after Trump began his second term. Most early changes focused on political appointees, but that approach shifted last week when career ambassadors began receiving recall notices from Washington.
Under US law, ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president and are often replaced when administrations change, although they typically remain in their posts for three to four years.
The officials said the diplomats being recalled are not losing their foreign service positions and may return to Washington for other roles if they choose.
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The State Department declined to confirm the number of diplomats affected or name the countries involved. However, it defended the move, describing it as routine.
“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, calling the recalls “a standard process in any administration.”
Africa has been the most affected region, with ambassadors being recalled from 13 countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
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In Asia, six countries are affected Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam.
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Four European countries Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia are also included. Ambassadors are also being recalled from Algeria and Egypt in the Middle East; Nepal and Sri Lanka in South and Central Asia; and Guatemala and Suriname in the Western Hemisphere.
Politico first reported the recalls. The move has raised concern among some US lawmakers and the American Foreign Service Association, the union representing US diplomats, AP reported.
