The internal document, which has circulated among senior diplomatic circles, outlines a broad cost-cutting initiative that could reshape U.S. engagement overseas, particularly in regions where American diplomatic presence has traditionally played a stabilising role.
If enacted, the proposals would reduce the United States' diplomatic infrastructure across nearly every continent, with embassies in Africa and Europe particularly affected.
Among those listed for potential closure are embassies in Lesotho, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, South Sudan, and the Republic of Congo. Two small European missions â€" in Luxembourg and Malta â€" also face the axe, with recommendations to shift their duties to nearby posts.
The consular network is also set to take a major hit. In Europe alone, five consulates in France â€" including in Marseille, Lyon and Strasbourg â€" are on the chopping block, alongside two in Germany and two in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Outside Europe, closures are proposed for consulates in Cameroon, Indonesia, South Africa, and South Korea.
The rationale behind the sweeping changes, according to the document, centres on a wider push by the administration to shrink federal government operations, in line with President Trump's long-standing pledge to reduce spending. The initiative aligns with previous attempts to cut the State Department's budget by nearly half.
However, the plan is raising alarms among diplomats and foreign policy experts who warn that scaling back America's diplomatic presence could weaken national security and cede geopolitical ground to rivals such as China.
Data from the Lowy Institute indicates that the U.S. currently has more diplomatic missions in Europe than China â€" a lead that could vanish if the proposed closures go ahead. In Africa and East Asia, Chinese missions already outnumber their American counterparts.
Particularly sensitive are the proposed reductions in conflict-prone regions. The memo recommends either downsizing or eliminating the U.S. presence in Somalia, and reducing staffing in Baghdad and Erbil, Iraq â€" both areas central to counterterrorism operations.
It also floats a shift in how the U.S. structures its overseas missions. Suggestions include the creation of so-called 'FLEX-style' posts with smaller teams and narrower mandates, as well as combining leadership roles at missions serving multilateral institutions â€" such as the U.S. delegations to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris.
When asked about the potential closures, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to confirm the authenticity of the document or discuss its contents.
"I would suggest you check with the White House and the President as they finalise their budget proposals," Bruce said. 'The kinds of numbers we're seeing in media reports often stem from leaked documents that may not reflect final decisions.'
To date, the administration has only announced ambassadorial nominees for two of the embassies marked for closure: Malta and Luxembourg. Analysts say this could indicate that some decisions are already being acted upon quietly.
While the proposal has yet to be formally approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it forms part of a broader, Elon Musk-backed effort to overhaul and streamline federal agencies under the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency.
As Washington debates the merits of retrenchment versus global engagement, the future of American diplomacy â€" and its influence in strategically important regions â€" hangs in the balance.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/trump-administration-mulls-closure-of-nearly-30-overseas-missions
