Growing reports suggest that the administration of  United States (US) President Donald Trump is considering a significant reduction of America's diplomatic footprint around the world.

An internal State Department document, seen this week, outlines a proposal to close nearly 30 US embassies and consulates many of them in Europe and Africa as part of broader efforts to scale back the federal government's overseas presence. Among the missions reportedly targeted are embassies in Lesotho, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic, as well as consulates in countries like, the UK, South Korea and South Africa. While it's still unclear whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on the plan, the closures would reportedly be accompanied by the redistribution of responsibilities to neighboring missions.

To unpack the implications of these proposed moves, is Dr Euston Kasongo Chiputa, Historian, Researcher, Consultant and Political and Socio-Economic analyst.