Africa Exposed As Future Of Usaid Hangs By Thread

At midnight on Friday 7th February, thousands of staff at the US Agency for International Development USAID will be placed on 'administrative leave'. Those working overseas on aid programmes have been told to prepare to return to the United States.

The Trump administration has already suspended almost all aid spending pending a 90-day review. The future of USAID, one of the world's biggest aid agencies, is hanging by a thread.

Government action against USAID has been swift and crushing.

Agents from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency - officially established by a Trump executive order as an advisory body - were involved in a stand-off with USAID security last weekend as they attempted to gain access to servers where classified information is stored. USAID staff were locked out of their offices days later.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was then appointed as acting administrator, effectively confirming the de facto takeover of the agency by the State Department, which announced the 90-day aid pause in late January.