The United States would drastically reduce its diplomatic footprint in Africa and eliminate State Department offices focused on climate change, democracy, and human rights, according to a White House order under consideration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that The New York Times, which first reported the existence of the draft order, had fallen "victim to another hoax."
"This is fake news," Rubio posted on Sunday on X.
However, a copy of the draft executive order viewed by AFP calls for a "full structural reorganization" of the State Department by October 1 of this year.
The aim, according to the draft, is "to streamline mission delivery, project American strength abroad, cut waste, fraud, and abuse, and align the Department with an America First Strategic Doctrine."
The biggest change would be organizing U.S. diplomatic efforts into four regions: Eurasia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
The current Africa Bureau would be eliminated, replaced by a "Special Envoy Office for African Affairs" reporting 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."
The draft executive order obtained by AFP has not been publicly discussed by officials. However, it comes amid a series of moves by President Donald Trump to cut decades-old U.S. soft power initiatives and to question long-held alliances, including with NATO.
This latest proposal follows the leak to U.S. media of another proposed plan that would slash the State Department's entire budget by half.
In the new draft plan, current offices focused on climate change and human rights would be "eliminated."
The U.S. footprint in Canada, a key ally that Trump has repeatedly suggested should be annexed and made the 51st state, would see a "significantly reduced team," with the embassy in Ottawa being "significantly downsized."
With AFP
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