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.
