By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
President Donald Trump has recalled the United States’ ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr., and 29 other senior diplomats from ambassadorial and key embassy postings worldwide.
Ambassador Mills, who was appointed on July 25, 2024, is among 13 ambassadors serving in African countries affected by the move, which Washington insiders said is aimed at reshaping US foreign policy around Trump’s “America First” agenda.
According to Associated Press (AP), the affected diplomats, many of whom were appointed during the Biden administration but retained their posts through Trump’s early months in office, were informed last week that their tenures would end in January 2026.
“Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president,” an official familiar with the development told AP, “although they typically remain at their posts for between three and four years.”
The officials, who requested anonymity, explained that those affected are not being dismissed from the Foreign Service but will be reassigned to Washington for other roles if they choose to continue their service.
The US State Department declined to confirm the number of envoys affected but defended the decision, describing it as “a standard process in any administration.”
In a statement, the department said, “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.”
Africa was the most heavily impacted 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 followed with six ambassadorial changes in Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Others affected include envoys in four European nations (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia), two in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt), two in South Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka), and two in the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).
The recall marked one of the most sweeping diplomatic reshuffles under Trump’s second term.
Leadership