Trump’s Top Diplomat in Africa Leaving State Department
President Donald J. Trump’s senior diplomat for Africa, Ambassador Troy Fitrell, will retire from the State Department at the end of the month, marking another significant transition as the administration continues refocusing American foreign policy toward results-driven engagement.
Jonathan Pratt, currently the deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, will assume Fitrell’s role. Fitrell, a career foreign service officer, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Guinea and held multiple leadership posts overseeing African regional affairs. His résumé includes directing both the Western and Southern African Affairs offices and acting as Deputy Chief of Mission in U.S. 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 confirmed. “The Bureau of African Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Pratt will step into the Senior Bureau Official role after Ambassador Fitrell’s departure.”
Fitrell has effectively been running the bureau during a period in which the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary position remains vacant.
Just weeks ago, Fitrell offered a window into the administration’s strategic shift for U.S.–Africa policy, noting the United States is moving from “one rooted primarily in development assistance to a strategy that prioritizes robust commercial engagement.” That transition aligns with President Trump’s broader “America First” approach—emphasizing mutually beneficial trade, investment, and national security rather than open-ended aid models that have often produced little long-term progress.
Pratt, who will step into the bureau’s top seat, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Djibouti from 2021 to 2023 and held diplomatic assignments in Pakistan, Sudan, and Angola.
Fitrell’s retirement marks the second significant departure within the administration in recent days.
Adm. Alvin Holsey, the four-star commander overseeing intensified Pentagon operations in the Caribbean Sea, has announced his resignation. Holsey leads U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the entity responsible for all U.S. military activities across Central and South America.
His departure comes despite the Pentagon’s rapid deployment of nearly 10,000 troops to the Caribbean as part of a sweeping counterdrug and counterterror initiative championed by the Trump administration.
The reason for Holsey’s early exit—less than one year into what is normally a three-year command—remains unclear. However, one current and one former U.S. official, speaking anonymously, suggested that Holsey had expressed reservations about the mission itself and the tactical measures used against suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered praise for Holsey’s service but did not address any policy disagreements.
“On behalf of the Department of War,” Hegseth said, adding, “We extend our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at year’s end.”
Other Pentagon officials indicated privately that disagreements over Venezuela policy contributed to the split. According to CNN, the administration had covertly authorized the CIA to conduct operations inside Venezuela. President Trump acknowledged he approved the clandestine mission and signaled that the U.S. is considering further military options, including potential strikes inside the country.
With Venezuelan instability fueling criminal networks, cartel activity, and regional terrorism, the administration argues that aggressive action is necessary to protect American lives. Officials note the surge of overdose deaths in the United States as justification for confronting traffickers long before they reach U.S. shores.
The scale of the U.S. military buildup in the region is significant. Approximately 10,000 troops are currently stationed across the Caribbean—most in Puerto Rico—alongside 2,200 Marines aboard amphibious assault ships. The Navy has deployed eight warships and a submarine to support maritime interdiction and intelligence operations.
Taken together, these moves reflect a broader doctrine shaping President Trump’s second-term foreign policy: strengthen U.S. sovereignty, dismantle transnational criminal networks, and assert American strategic dominance in regions long ignored under previous administrations.