United States President Donald Trump has reportedly recalled the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, and other career diplomats from their ambassadorial posts.
According to Politico, the move is part of an effort to align US diplomatic representation abroad with President Trump’s “America First” priorities.
A State Department official confirmed to the news platform that the ambassadors affected by the shake-up had initially been appointed during the Joe Biden administration but will now end their tenures in January.
While the diplomats will return to Washington for other assignments if they wish, their postings as chiefs of mission will conclude, according to the official.
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.
The State Department, in a statement, 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.