Mogadishu (HOL) – The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad with personnel viewed as fully aligned with President Donald Trump’s "America First” priorities.

According to two State Department officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters, chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January.

All of the recalled diplomats were appointed during the Biden administration but had initially survived an early shake-up in the first months of President Trump’s second term, which primarily targeted political appointees rather than career officials.

Africa is the region most affected, with ambassadors recalled from 13 countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.

Asia follows, with ambassadorial changes affecting six countries: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

In Europe, ambassadors from four countries: Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia are affected. Two countries each are impacted in the Middle East (Algeria and Egypt), South and Central Asia (Nepal and Sri Lanka), and the Western Hemisphere (Guatemala and Suriname).

The U.S. State Department declined to comment on specific numbers or individual ambassadors but defended the moves, describing them as "a standard process in any administration.”

Ambassador Riley’s planned departure in January comes at a sensitive time for Somalia, as the country approaches critical elections amid an opposition boycott and growing concerns that political tensions could escalate into unrest.