US President Donald Trump has recalled Richard Mills, United
States ambassador to Nigeria, in what appears to be a diplomatic shake-up
across the country’s global missions.
Over two dozen countries are reportedly affected — with
Africa the most impacted continent.
Nigeria was among 15 countries on the continent to have
envoys recalled. Others include Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon,
Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia
and Uganda.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Fiji, Laos, the Marshall
Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam were affected.
In Europe, Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia were
impacted while Guatemala and Suriname experienced the changes in the western
hemisphere.
State Department officials told Guardian UK that the chiefs
of mission were informed last week that their tenures would end in January.
All the ambassadors had taken up their posts in the Joe
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 DC about their imminent departures.
Envoys typically remain at their posts for between three and
four years.
Mills was confirmed as US ambassador to Nigeria last May.
His recall comes amid frosty US-Nigeria relations over visa
rows and security concerns.
It also comes as both sides work to partner on initiatives
to strengthen the relationship.
Just last week, Mills met with Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s
minister of foreign affairs, to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation after
congressman Riley Moore said the US and Nigeria were close to reaching an
agreement on a “strategic security framework” aimed at tackling terrorism in
the West African country.
State Department officials said the recalled ambassadors are
not losing their foreign service jobs but will be returning to Washington for
other assignments should they wish to take them.
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