U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the recall of Richard Mills, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, as part of a massive diplomatic overhaul affecting over two dozen missions worldwide.
Africa has emerged as the primary target of this reshuffle, with Nigeria being one of 15 nations on the continent where envoys are being pulled back to Washington.
The sweeping recall also impacts U.S. missions in Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.
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Outside of Africa, the shake-up hit several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as missions in Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
According to reports from The Guardian UK, the State Department notified the affected chiefs of mission last week that their tenures would officially conclude in January.
While these diplomats—mostly appointed during the Biden administration—initially survived an earlier purge of political appointees, the situation shifted on Wednesday when formal departure notices were issued.
The move is being characterized as a strategic effort to synchronize U.S. global representation with President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy priorities.
Although their roles as ambassadors are ending, officials noted that the diplomats are not losing their careers in the foreign service and may be reassigned to other positions upon their return to Washington.
Ambassador Mills, who only began his role in Nigeria in May, departs during a period of complex relations between Abuja and Washington.
His recall comes amidst ongoing friction over visa policies and security concerns, even as the two nations work toward deeper cooperation.
Recently, Mills held high-level talks with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
These discussions followed comments by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, who indicated that Washington and Abuja are nearing the finalization of a “strategic security framework” designed to enhance counter-terrorism efforts within Nigeria.
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