State Department to shut embassies and close Africa operations

Donald Trump is planning to close almost all of its Africa operations and shut down embassies across the continent, according to a draft executive, which is set to be signed this week.

The leaked order outlines drastic changes to the State Department, which, if implemented, would be one of the biggest rounds of restructuring since its founding in 1789.

It plans to eliminate offices which work on climate change, humanitarian support for refugees, democracy and human rights policy, along with a sharp cut to diplomatic operations in Canada.

The executive order – copies of which were obtained by the New York Times and Bloomberg – could be signed by the US president this week, with the changes then expected to come into effect by Oct 1.

It would be accompanied by efforts to lay off staff across the Foreign Service and the Civil Service, officials told The New York Times. The executive order also sets out new hiring criteria, which includes “alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision”.

The purpose of the shake-up, according to the 16-page document, is to impose a “disciplined reorganisation” of the State Department and “streamlining mission delivery” while cutting “waste, fraud and abuse”.

It follows cuts that have dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which critics have warned are damaging American soft power and enabling rivals like China and Russia gain more global influence.