The President of the USA, Donald Trump, is considering a presidential decree that would drastically change the American Foreign Ministry and its operations.
The information comes from the newspaper The New York Times, which reports that the goal would be a "disciplined restructuring" that would lead to "streamlined efforts".
The cuts to the Foreign Ministry, under the leadership of Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, are focused on the African continent, where "non-essential" embassies and consulates in Africa, primarily south of the Sahara, would be drastically closed.
To be implemented before October
The decision would thus be implemented at the same time as Russia, China, and several EU countries are strengthening their diplomatic presence in several African countries – often linked to trade and security contracts.
The American decree is still only a 16-page draft. The changes regarding closed embassies are planned to be implemented before October 1, according to the draft that The New York Times has obtained. The decree would also abolish state diplomatic training, and the employment of diplomats would follow "the President's foreign policy vision".
The virtually defunct aid organization USAID's remaining operations would be transferred to the Foreign Ministry, according to the draft. Furthermore, additional documents about the Foreign Ministry's future are said to be circulating. In one of these, a reduction of nearly 50 percent of the department is proposed.
Congressional decision may be required
Several changes may require decisions in Congress to be implemented, but the intention in the draft is clear: a large number of career diplomats and officials would be laid off or asked to leave their jobs, according to the respected American daily newspaper.
The Foreign Ministry in the USA, one of the country's largest federal authorities, would, according to the proposal, also change direction from its previous goals of supporting human rights, freedom of expression, and monitoring international migration and refugee issues. The Ministry's climate focus, with an overarching climate tsar, would be abolished.
Marco Rubio has on X commented on the reports, saying they are "'fake news'".
