The Trump administration has started recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy roles, signalling a major reset of US diplomacy aligned with President Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy priorities.
Nearly 29 US ambassadors received official notices last week that their tenures will end in January, with two State Department officials telling AP this signals a wide-ranging diplomatic shake-up across continents.
Africa is the hardest-hit region, with US ambassadors set to be recalled from 13 countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda, highlighting the scale of the Trump administration’s diplomatic reshuffle across the continent.
Six Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Fiji and Laos, will see ambassadorial replacements as part of the US diplomatic reshuffle under Trump’s administration.
Ambassadorial changes extend to four European nations—Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovakia—two Middle Eastern countries, Algeria and Egypt, and additional countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and Suriname.
All these diplomats impacted by the move were appointed during the Biden administration, with officials saying the earlier phase of Trump’s second term largely focused on removing political appointees.
US ambassadors usually serve three to four years but remain at the president’s discretion. Those recalled will not lose their foreign service positions.
Officials said affected diplomats can return to the US for other assignments if they choose, continuing their careers within the State Department.
The State Department described the recalls as a normal process in any administration, emphasising that ambassadors represent the president and implement the America First agenda.
