The Donald Trump administration may shut down nearly 30 United States embassies and consulates around the world, including several in Africa, as part of a sweeping plan to reduce the country’s diplomatic presence abroad.
A CNN report on Wednesday, citing an internal US State Department document, states that the embassies in the Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Lesotho, and South Sudan are among those proposed for closure.
A US consulate in South Africa may also be shut down.
“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.
The proposal is part of a broader effort by the Trump-led government—reportedly influenced by the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency—to drastically reduce the size and spending of federal agencies, including the State Department.
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.
