A senior U.S. official overseeing Africa policy at the State Department is expected to step down in mid-July, marking another significant transition in President Donald Trump’s foreign policy team.
- Troy Fitrell, leading the Bureau of African Affairs, plans to step down on July 15.
- His tenure involved advancing U.S. diplomatic and commercial ties with Africa.
- The White House has not yet announced plans for a permanent replacement post-departure.
Troy Fitrell, who has been leading the Bureau of African Affairs in an acting capacity, played a central role in managing U.S. diplomatic, security, and economic relations with countries across the African continent during a period of rising global competition and shifting alliances.
Although it was not immediately clear why he is leaving, Troy Fitrell will leave his post on July 15, according to Reuters reports that cited sources with direct knowledge of the decision.
The reports added that Troy Fitrell shared his plans to leave by that date over an email.
Recently, he had tasked U.S. ambassadors on the continent to find commercial opportunities for U.S. companies.
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Troy Fitrell also did not respond to a request for comment, according to the reports.
The departure comes amid a prolonged vacancy at the assistant secretary level, with no confirmed nominee in place more than a year into Trump’s current term.
However, it is important to note that, apart from Troy Fitrell’s office at the Bureau of African Affairs, the office of President Trump’s adviser on Africa affairs, led by Massad Boulos, also plays a largely informal but visible role as a diplomatic envoy focused on promoting peace and advancing U.S. private-sector investment in Africa.
Troy Fitrell’s Africa strategy
Just a month before his expected resignation, Troy Fitrell laid out a bold and business-focused vision for U.S.-Africa relations under the Trump administration, emphasizing a pivot from aid-driven engagement to private sector-led trade and investment.
During the launch of the Bureau of African Affairs’ Commercial Diplomacy Strategy in Côte d’Ivoire last month, Troy Fitrell outlined a six-point plan to strengthen U.S.-Africa commercial ties.
The strategy includes making commercial diplomacy a central pillar of U.S. engagement, advancing market reforms and infrastructure projects in priority African countries, and expanding commercial diplomacy trips.
It also seeks to better connect U.S. companies and capital to African opportunities while reforming U.S. trade and finance tools to compete more effectively on the global stage.
Under the current administration, the U.S. has sought to recalibrate its Africa policy by prioritizing counterterrorism cooperation, advancing trade initiatives such as Prosper Africa, and responding to strategic competition from global rivals.
With Troy Fitrell’s departure, it remains unclear who will take over in the interim or whether the White House intends to nominate a permanent replacement soon.
