The administration of US President Donald Trump has recalled nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy postings worldwide, including the US ambassador to Nigeria, as part of efforts to realign American diplomacy with its “America First” agenda.

The recalls, confirmed by the Associated Press, involve chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries who were informed last week that their tenures would end in January. Two State Department officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

Africa is the most affected region, with ambassadors recalled from 15 countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Rwanda, Somalia, Algeria, and Uganda. Other affected regions include the Asia-Pacific, Europe, South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.

All the diplomats were appointed under former President Joe Biden but had initially survived an earlier shake-up that mainly targeted political appointees during the early months of Mr Trump’s second term.

The State Department said the diplomats are not being dismissed from the foreign service and may return to Washington for other assignments. It described the recalls as a “standard process,” noting that ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president and are personal representatives expected to advance the administration’s priorities.

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The US Mission in Nigeria has not officially commented on the recall of Ambassador Richard Mills.

However, Mills addressed a news conference in Abuja during a visit by a US Congressional Delegation, where he said new US visa restrictions were aimed at improving security vetting and were not targeted at Nigerians.

Source: PremiumTimes