U.S. lacks confirmed ambassadors in 41 African countries

The U.S. has left more than 40 African nations without a Senate-confirmed ambassador. Some 41 countries currently lack a confirmed envoy, including Nigeria, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, and Sudan. The gap widened in December when more than a dozen career ambassadors from Africa were recalled. The American Foreign Service Association called the move institutional sabotage.

Diplomatic negotiations continue Washington is negotiating high-stakes deals such as a U.S.-brokered DRC-Rwanda peace agreement and a Libya peace deal. Officials are often using high-profile envoys rather than resident ambassadors. Michelle Gavin, a former U.S. ambassador to Botswana and Council on Foreign Relations fellow, said the gaps add to the chaos surrounding visa restrictions and efforts to force African nations to take third-country migrants.

Gavin said the current vacancy rate has no modern precedent and risks ceding ground to China.