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The Trump administration’s top Africa diplomat, Troy Fitrell, has told colleagues he will leave the State Department in mid-July, three people familiar with the matter told Semafor. Fitrell, a 30-year career diplomat who has worked across the African continent, is temporarily leading the department’s Bureau of African Affairs, and has been the most public proponent of the administration’s Africa policy, briefing both the media and Congress on Washington’s priorities.
Fitrell spearheaded the department’s commercial diplomacy push with Africa, arguing that the continent should become one of Washington’s biggest trading partners. He was seen as the most experienced Africa hand in the administration after the White House’s top Africa official, Major General Jami Shawley, was removed from her position and the National Security Council’s Africa team was merged with the Middle East office.
While experts in Washington were initially optimistic that the second Trump administration would move quickly to bring in Africa expertise, tough vetting by MAGA loyalists and high turnover have left the administration with few experienced policy hands. Two of the people Semafor spoke to said Fitrell’s pending departure casts doubt on whether the administration will be able to host a planned Africa leaders summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
