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The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed
last week that their tenures would end in January, according to
two State Department officials, who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss internal personnel moves.
All of them had taken up their posts in the Biden administration
but had survived an initial purge in the early months of Trump’s
second term that targeted mainly political appointees. That
changed on Wednesday when they began to receive notices from
officials in Washington about their imminent departures.
Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president although they
typically remain at their posts for three to four years. Those
affected by the shake-up are not losing their foreign service
jobs but will be returning to Washington for other assignments
should they wish to take them, the officials said.
The State Department declined to comment on specific numbers or
ambassadors affected, but defended the changes, calling them “a
standard process in any administration.” It noted that 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 is the continent most affected by the removals, with
ambassadors from 13 countries being removed: Burundi, Cameroon,
Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
Second is Asia, with ambassadorial changes coming to six
countries: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea,
the Philippines and Vietnam affected.
Four countries in Europe (Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and
Slovakia) are affected; as are two each in the Middle East
(Algeria and Egypt); South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri
Lanka); and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).
Politico was the first to report on the ambassadorial recalls,
which have drawn concern from some lawmakers and the union
representing American diplomats.
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