Trump to Cut Africa Operations in State Department Overhaul, NYT says

The Trump administration plans to eliminate most of the State Department’s Africa operations in its planned overhaul of the department, the New York Times reported, citing a draft executive order that could be signed this week.

The draft order proposes shutting down embassies and consulates across Africa, according to the report. It would replace the Bureau of African affairs, which oversees policy in sub-Saharan Africa, with a much smaller special envoy office for African affairs that would report to the White House National Security Council and focus on a handful of issues, including coordinated counter-terrorism operations, the Times said.

Other changes include shutting down bureaus working on democracy, human rights and refugee issues, according to the report.

President Donald Trump’s signing of the order, elements of which could still change beforehand, would be accompanied by efforts to lay off career diplomats and civil service employees, the Times cited current and former US officials as saying.

The State Department and White House National Security Council didn’t immediately comment to the newspaper on the order early on Sunday.