WASHINGTON: The United States would drastically reduce its diplomatic footprint in Africa and also scrap State Department offices dealing with climate change, democracy and human rights, according to a White House order under consideration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said The New York Times, which first reported the existence of the draft order, had fallen “victim to another hoax.” However, a copy of the draft executive order viewed by AFP calls for “full structural reorganization” of the State Department by October 1 of this year.
The aim, the draft order says, is “to streamline mission delivery, project American strength abroad, cut waste, fraud, abuse, and align the Department with an America First Strategic Doctrine.”
The biggest change would be organizing US diplomatic efforts into four regions: Eurasia, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
The current Africa Bureau would be eliminated. In its place would be a “Special Envoy Office for African Affairs” who reports to the White House´s internal National Security Council, rather than the State Department.
“All non-essential embassies and consulates in Sub-Saharan Africa shall be closed,” the draft order says, with all remaining missions consolidated under a special envoy “using targeted, mission-driven deployments.”
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