US President Donald Trump has recalled the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, and those of other countries.
With regard to the withdrawal of the US Ambassador to Nigeria, the action comes amid heightened attention on US-Africa relations and has drawn concern from some lawmakers and the American Foreign Service Association, which represents US diplomats.
Politico reports that the move is part of an effort to align US diplomatic representation abroad with President Trump’s “America First” priorities.
A State Department official told the news platform under the condition of anonymity that the ambassadors affected by the shake-up had previously been appointed during the Joe Biden administration but will now end their tenures in January.
The official said while the diplomats will return to Washington for other assignments if they wish, their postings as mission chiefs had in fact finished.
Africa has been the region most affected by the recalls, with ambassadors from 13 countries, including Nigeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Uganda, among those removed.
Other regions affected include the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.
In a statement, US State Department described the changes as a “standard process in any administration,” noting that ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president and are meant to advance the administration’s policy priorities.
“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 statement read.
But officials disclosed that the recalled diplomats are not losing their jobs in the foreign service and may decide to continue serving in other capacities within the State Department.
