The Trump administration is weighing a sweeping retraction of America’s diplomatic presence around the world — a move that would include closing the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Congo and significantly reducing or eliminating more than two dozen other foreign missions, according to an internal State Department memo obtained by The New York Times.
The undated memo outlines plans to shutter 10 embassies and 17 consulates globally, in what analysts are calling the most dramatic rollback of U.S. diplomacy in modern history. The proposal, if enacted, would mark a turning point in U.S. foreign policy, shifting focus away from traditional diplomacy and humanitarian engagement in favor of cost-cutting.
Among the African embassies slated for closure are those in the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, South Sudan, and the Republic of Congo — where the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville has long played a crucial role in supporting governance reforms, development aid, and public health programs.
For the Republic of Congo, the embassy closure would follow the proposed dismantling of the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs. Under a draft executive order also circulating in Washington, that bureau would be replaced with a much smaller Special Envoy Office for African Affairs reporting directly to the National Security Council. The office would focus narrowly on “coordinated counterterrorism operations” and “strategic extraction and trade of critical natural resources,” sidelining support for civil society, elections, human rights, and sustainable development, according to the New York Times.
“This is not just a withdrawal from Africa — it’s a complete reframing of what the U.S. sees as important on this continent,” said a Brazzaville-based Facebook user familiar with U.S.-Congo relations. “The message is clear: diplomacy is out.”
Beyond Africa, the memo outlines further cuts, including either significantly downsizing or eliminating the U.S. embassy presence in Mogadishu, Somalia, and closing the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center in Iraq. The U.S. presence in Baghdad and Erbil would also be reduced to cut costs. Additionally, the State Department is considering consolidating consular support in countries with multiple posts — such as Japan and Canada — into a single location per country.
Critics warn that the global drawdown would severely undermine America’s ability to compete with geopolitical rivals. According to data from the Lowy Institute, a foreign policy think tank in Sydney, the U.S. currently maintains more embassies and consulates than China in Europe — but the proposed closures would reverse that. In Africa and East Asia, where Chinese missions already outnumber American ones, the gap would only widen.
“This would be a self-inflicted diplomatic defeat,” said a former senior State Department official. “While we’re pulling out, China is expanding — building embassies, training diplomats, signing trade deals. We’re ceding global leadership, one post at a time.”
So far, the administration has offered conflicting statements on the leaked memo and related plans. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called earlier reports “fake news,” and a White House spokesperson claimed the memo does not reflect current policy. Still, the specificity and scope of the document suggest that serious deliberations are underway.
In Brazzaville, concern is growing among civil society leaders and U.S.-funded organizations that rely on the embassy’s support. “We already face enormous challenges in democracy and development,” said one Congolese NGO leader. “If the U.S. leaves now, it’s a green light for authoritarianism and foreign exploitation.”
As American diplomats around the world await clarity on their futures, the stakes are high — not just for the State Department, but for U.S. influence in a rapidly shifting global landscape.