Rubio denies reports of US State Department pullback from Africa

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed media reports suggesting the US State Department is planning to scale back its diplomatic presence in Africa.

“This is fake news. The New York Times fell for another baseless rumor,” Rubio said on April 20 in a post on social platform X (formerly Twitter), rejecting claims of an imminent withdrawal.

Earlier the same day, The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump may sign an executive order aimed at a radical restructuring of the State Department, which would include shutting down many US embassies across Africa and dissolving several bureaus dealing with climate, migration, and human rights issues.

The report said the department's Africa bureau would be replaced by a special envoy's office reporting directly to the White House National Security Council.

On April 14, The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is considering cutting the State Department’s budget by nearly half, with even sharper reductions for funding international organizations.

N.Tebrizli