Trump recalls USA Ambassadors from Burundi and Rwanda

The U.S. President Donald Trump has recalled American Ambassadors from Burundi, Rwanda, and more than 30 other countries, according to reports from U.S. media.

The move was first reported last Friday by Politico, which said the affected diplomats were being informed individually, without any official public announcement.

The media outlet reports that most of the recalled envoys were appointed during the administration of President Joe Biden, whom Donald Trump succeeded.

U.S. media say the diplomats have been given until next month to return to Washington.

CNN quoted Eric Rubin, a veteran former U.S. diplomat, who said that such an action “has never happened in the 101 years of the U.S. Foreign Service.”

Rubin explained that although ambassadors serve as personal representatives of the president, “every president has traditionally allowed ambassadors they inherited to remain in office until their terms ended, while replacements were being confirmed by the Senate.”

However, a senior official at the U.S. Department of State, quoted by CNN, said the move was “a normal practice under any administration.”

According to U.S. media, many of the recalled ambassadors and diplomatic staff were stationed in African countries, including: Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo, Gabon, Mauritius, Egypt, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.

Others were serving in countries such as Slovakia, Montenegro, Armenia, and North Macedonia, as well as in parts of Asia and South America.

The New York Times, citing the U.S. Department of State, reported that those recalled have not been dismissed.

They may be reassigned to other positions and are encouraged to “seek other opportunities within government service in order to support President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”

The State Department said the decision is a standard procedure during a change of administration and is intended to ensure that U.S. diplomats abroad align with the new government’s foreign policy direction.

The American Foreign Service Association, which represents U.S. diplomats, warned that recalling career professionals could politicize diplomacy, which has traditionally been non-partisan.

So far, the State Department has not announced who will replace the recalled envoys or when the new appointments will begin.

In Burundi, Rwanda, and other affected countries, U.S. embassies will continue operating under the leadership of the Chargé d’Affaires until new ambassadors are appointed.

The changes come at a time when the United States has recently taken steps to suspend visa access for citizens of several countries, many of them in Africa.