By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
United States, 24 December 2025 - U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the recall of nearly 30 career ambassadors and senior envoys, a sweeping diplomatic shake-up that is poised to leave the United States without top-level representation in dozens of countries around the world, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa.
The changes are scheduled to take effect in January 2026 as officials begin concluding their tenures.
The majority of recalled diplomats were appointed during the Joe Biden administration and had remained in their posts into Trump’s second term.
In Africa, 15 ambassadors will end their missions, including senior U.S. envoys in countries such as:
- Algeria (Elizabeth Aubin)
- Burundi (Lisa Peterson)
- Cameroon (Christopher Lamora)
- Cape Verde (Jennifer Adams)
- Egypt (Herro Mustafa Garg)
- Gabon (Vernelle Trim FitzPatrick)
- Ivory Coast (Jessica Davis Ba)
- Madagascar (Claire A. Pierangelo)
- Mauritius (Henry Jardine)
- Niger (Kathleen FitzGibbon)
- Nigeria (Richard Mills Jr.)
- Rwanda (Eric K. Kneedler)
- Senegal (Michael Raynor)
- Somalia (Richard Riley)
- Uganda (William Popp)
On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa confirmed that Ambassador Ervin J. Massinga is not among the American envoys recalled by the Trump administration, contrary to widely circulated reports.
“Ethiopia is not one of the countries listed among the Trump administration recalls of its envoys,” the embassy said.
The Embassy told Addis Standard, that Amb Massinga was not recalled and that “he is at a signing ceremony this afternoon, signing an MOU with the government of Ethiopia.”
Beyond Africa, recalled ambassadors serve in the Asia-Pacific like, Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, in Europe, Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia, and the Americas Guatemala and Suriname.
Notices were reportedly sent from Washington in late December 2025, with departures slated for January 2026, meaning many embassies will begin the year without confirmed ambassadors.
Africa, with its 15 recalled ambassadors, is the most affected region. Smaller numbers of recalls were also reported in Asia, Europe, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere.
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Trump’s administration defends the recalls as a standard prerogative of a new presidency, asserting the president has the right to appoint ambassadors who will advance his “America First” agenda.
State Department officials emphasize that ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president and that recalled diplomats will not lose their foreign service status; many may be reassigned to roles in Washington if they choose.
However, critics, including lawmakers and diplomatic unions, argue the mass removals risk undermining U.S. foreign policy continuity.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that removing experienced career ambassadors may cede diplomatic influence to rivals such as China and Russia at a time of heightened global competition.
The recalls come amid chronic staffing shortages at many overseas posts, with the vacancy rate for senior positions already high in several regions, especially Africa.
Trump’s move could leave Washington without a top-level presence in more than half of sub-Saharan African countries, undermining long-term engagement on security, trade and humanitarian issues.
Former diplomats say the absence of confirmed ambassadors may hinder routine embassy functions, from managing crises to negotiating trade and security partnerships, at a time when global relations are increasingly complex.
The State Department also remains without a Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, adding to leadership gaps that could strain diplomatic capacity further.
