US President, Donald Trump, has initiated a move to shut down several embassies in Africa and other parts of the world, according to CNN.
About 30 embassies and consulates across the globe are said to be affected by the decision of the Trump administration.
The move is part of a sweeping plan to reduce the country’s diplomatic presence abroad, a CNN report said, citing an internal US State Department document.
According to the station, embassies in the Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Lesotho, and South Sudan are among those proposed for closure including a US consulate in South Africa.
“The document recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates. Many of the posts are in Europe and Africa, though they also include locations in Asia and the Caribbean.
“These include embassies in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
“The list also includes five consulates in France, two in Germany, two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one in the United Kingdom, one in South Africa, and one in South Korea,” the report stated.
CNN said the internal document also suggests reducing the US presence in countries such as Somalia and Iraq, which have been central to America’s counterterrorism efforts.
There has been no official confirmation that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the proposal, and a spokesperson for the department declined to comment on the leaked document.
Africa faces the sharpest diplomatic cuts
Of the 10 embassies proposed for closure in the memo, six are embassies in Africa: the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. The memo suggests that their responsibilities be transferred to U.S. embassies in neighbouring countries.
The proposed cuts align with President Trump’s push to shrink federal spending across government agencies. However, the plan still requires congressional approval and could change.
The newly proposed reductions have sparked renewed concerns that the U.S. may be giving up critical diplomatic ground to China, particularly in regions where Washington currently holds a stronger presence than Beijing.
Critics warn that scaling back could weaken American national security by limiting diplomatic engagement and hindering intelligence-gathering capabilities.
The memo further proposes shutting down two smaller embassies in Europe, Luxembourg and Malta, as well as the diplomatic missions in Grenada and the Maldives. Their responsibilities would be transferred to U.S. embassies in nearby countries.
Most of the consulates marked for closure are located in Europe, including several in popular tourist cities. In France alone, five consulates, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, and Strasbourg, are recommended for closure. Germany could lose its consulates in Düsseldorf and Leipzig, while Bosnia and Herzegovina may see closures in Mostar and Banja Luka.
Other European cities listed include Thessaloniki in Greece, Florence in Italy, Ponta Delgada in Portugal, and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.
Beyond Europe, the memo also recommends closing four more consulates: in Douala, Cameroon; Medan, Indonesia; Durban, South Africa; and Busan, South Korea.
