Top Diplomat in Trump Admin Leaving State Dept

He also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the US embassies in Ethiopia and Mauritius.

“After a long and distinguished career, the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs Senior Bureau Official Ambassador Troy Fitrell is retiring as planned,” a State Department spokesperson said.

“The Bureau of African Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Pratt will step into the Senior Bureau Official role after Ambassador Fitrell’s departure,” the official added.

Fitrell has been leading the State Department’s African bureau since the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary position remains unfilled.

Fitrell, who has been a diplomat for over 30 years, recently stated that the Trump administration is shifting the United States’ approach to Africa from “one rooted primarily in development assistance to a strategy that prioritizes robust commercial engagement.”

Pratt, who will follow Fitrell, previously served as the United States ambassador to Djibouti from 2021-2023. He also held additional missions with the State Department, serving in Pakistan, Sudan, and Angola.