Trump recalls US ambassador to Nigeria in global diplomatic shake-up
US President Donald Trump has recalled Richard Mills, the United States ambassador to Nigeria, as part of a sweeping diplomatic reorganisation affecting more than two dozen countries worldwide, with Africa bearing the brunt of the changes.
Nigeria is one of 15 African countries impacted by the recall of US envoys. Others include Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.
The shake-up also extends beyond Africa. In the Asia-Pacific region, ambassadors to Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam were affected. In Europe, the changes involved Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia, while Guatemala and Suriname were impacted in the Western Hemisphere.
According to officials at the US State Department who spoke to The Guardian in the United Kingdom, the affected chiefs of mission were notified last week that their appointments would end in January.
All of the recalled ambassadors were appointed during the administration of former President Joe Biden and had initially survived an early round of dismissals under Trump’s second term, which largely targeted political appointees. However, that position shifted on Wednesday when notices of imminent recall were issued from Washington DC.
US ambassadors typically serve terms of three to four years. Mills, who was confirmed as ambassador to Nigeria in May last year, therefore leaves his post less than a year after assuming office.
His recall comes at a sensitive time in US–Nigeria relations, which have been strained by visa disputes and security-related concerns. Despite these tensions, both countries have continued to explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Only last week, Mills held talks with Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, on expanding areas of collaboration. The meeting followed comments by US Congressman Riley Moore indicating that Washington and Abuja were close to finalising a “strategic security framework” focused on counterterrorism efforts in West Africa.
State Department officials clarified that the recalled ambassadors are not being dismissed from the foreign service. Instead, they are expected to return to Washington and may take up other assignments if they choose.
