Overview
- At least 29 chiefs of mission were notified last week that their tours will end in January, according to State Department officials cited by the Associated Press.
- Africa is most affected with 13 posts, with additional recalls across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere.
- Those recalled are career Foreign Service officers appointed during the Biden administration who may return to Washington for reassignment, and ambassadorial tours typically last three to four years.
- An official statement said ambassadors are the president’s personal representatives, reinforcing the administration’s push for envoys who will advance its America First priorities.
- AFSA reports members were told to depart by January 15 or 16 and warns of political motivations and morale damage, while coverage notes conflicting counts of recalls ranging from roughly two dozen to higher figures and situates the moves within a broader 2025 State Department reorganization with more than 1,300 layoffs.