Trump Recalls Nearly 30 U.S. Ambassadors in Major Global Shakeup, Africa Most Affected

The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career U.S. diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts around the world, marking a major reshaping of the country’s diplomatic corps in line with former President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities.

According to two State Department officials who spoke anonymously to the Guardian UK, chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their tenures would end in January. All had been appointed during the Biden administration but had survived the early months of Trump’s second term, which initially targeted mostly political appointees.

Officials emphasized that the affected diplomats are not losing their foreign service careers. They will return to Washington for reassignment if they wish, while ambassadors typically serve at the pleasure of the president for three to four years.

The State Department declined to provide exact numbers but defended the move as “a standard process in any administration,” noting that ambassadors are “personal representatives of the president” and play a key role in advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities.

Africa is the hardest-hit region, with ambassadors recalled from 13 countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda. The Asia-Pacific region follows, with recalls affecting Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Europe sees four changes, including Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia. Two ambassadors each from the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt), South Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka), and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname) are also being recalled.

The move has raised concerns among lawmakers and the American Foreign Service Association, which represents U.S. diplomats. Critics warn that such widespread recalls could disrupt diplomatic continuity and affect relations in key regions, particularly in Africa, where the largest number of ambassadors are being replaced.

The ambassadorial reshuffle, first reported by Politico, reflects the administration’s broader effort to ensure that senior diplomats abroad align closely with Trump’s foreign policy vision, signaling a significant shift in U.S. diplomatic priorities worldwide.