U.S. President Donald Trump waves at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland as he returns back from Bedminster, New Jersey to participate in the Celebrate Freedom Rally in Washington, July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
WASHINGTON — The administration of President Donald Trump is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and senior embassy posts as part of a broader effort to align the State Department with its “America First” agenda, according to U.S. officials.
Chiefs of mission were informed last week that their assignments would end in January, two officials familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Among those affected is the U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Richard Riley, officials 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,” one official said.
The official declined to confirm the total number of career ambassadors being recalled or to provide a full list of affected posts.
Africa is the region most affected by the recalls, with ambassadors from 13 countries being removed: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia andUganda.
Asia is the second-most affected region, with ambassadorial changes involving six countries: Fiji, Laos, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Vietnam.
Four European countries are also affected: Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia.
Two countries each are impacted in the Middle East, Algeria and Egypt; in South and Central Asia, Nepal and Sri Lanka; and in the Western Hemisphere, Guatemala and Suriname.
U.S. ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president, though they typically remain in their posts for three to four years and often continue through changes in administrations. The recalled diplomats are not being dismissed from the foreign service and are expected to return to Washington for other assignments if they choose, officials said.
Politico first reported the ambassadorial recalls, which have drawn concern from some lawmakers and the union representing American diplomats.
