Trump scales back U.S. diplomatic presence around the world

Just four months after returning to the White House, Donald Trump initiated a sweeping cut to the federal budget. As part of this move, the U.S. Department of State has undertaken a revision of America’s diplomatic footprint worldwide.

According to an internal document cited by CNN, 10 embassies and 17 consulates are set to close, particularly in Europe and Africa. On the African continent alone, eight U.S. embassies are targeted by the measure. Outside Africa, closures will include the embassies in Malta and Luxembourg, as well as consulates in South Korea, France, and Germany.

Specifically, the U.S. embassies in the Central African Republic, Congo, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, and South Sudan are expected to shut down. Among the consulates, those in Douala (Cameroon) and Durban (South Africa) are also slated for closure.

The Trump administration evaluated diplomatic posts “based on feedback from regional bureaus, consular workload, cost per post, facility conditions, and security assessments,” CNN reported.

In line with this downsizing, the administration plans to favor dual-role leadership in multi-mission posts and adopt more flexible, low-staff operations moving forward.