US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has debunked a report claiming that the Donald Trump administration is planning to close American embassies in Africa.
The New York Times had reported that Trump might sign an executive order to cut down the operations of the State Department and US embassies in Africa, potentially leading to layoffs of diplomats and civil servants.
Rubio described the report as “fake news” and said The New York Times had fallen victim to a hoax.
The purported plan would have involved closing the Bureau of African Affairs and shutting down all “non-essential” embassies and consulates in Sub-Saharan Africa by October 1.