The United States has recalled nearly 30 ambassadors from dozens of countries as part of a wider diplomatic reshuffle under President Donald Trump’s administration. The decision has mostly affected Africa, where envoys from 15 countries have been asked to step down. ALSO READ: US Embassy Kigali resumes full operations after 40-day shutdown In addition to Rwanda, ambassadors have been recalled from Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Uganda, Algeria and Egypt. ALSO READ: Rwanda, US seal five-year Rwf332bn partnership to strengthen disease response Asia follows with eight affected countries, where ambassadors to Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal and Sri Lanka, have been recalled. Europe accounts for four, Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia, while further changes have been announced in the South and and in the Western Hemisphere, where Guatemala and Suriname are impacted. According to PBS News, a USA based media house, two US State Department officials familiar with the matter, chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their postings would end in January. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of internal personnel decisions. ALSO READ: USA: Rwandan diaspora homecoming set for August 2026 Those affected were appointed during the previous administration and had initially survived an earlier round of removals that largely targeted political appointees at the start of Trump’s second term. However, the latest phase of the shake-up began midweek, when diplomats started receiving formal notifications from Washington. While ambassadors serve at the discretion of the US president, they typically remain in their posts for three to four years. State Department officials said the recalled diplomats will not lose their positions within the foreign service and may return to Washington for other assignments if they choose. The State Department declined to confirm the exact number of diplomats affected or identify specific individuals but defended the decision, describing it as routine, PBS stated. PBS also stated that the recalls have sparked concern among some US lawmakers and the American Foreign Service Association, which represents career diplomats.
