U.S. embassies across Africa are facing chronic staffing shortages that are undercutting U.S. foreign-policy goals on the continent and sapping the morale of the diplomatic corps, according to U.S. officials and experts. The problem has caught the attention of top U.S. lawmakers, who have raised alarm bells about the long-term impact of understaffed embassies. “The persistent and acute understaffing of career foreign service positions at U.S. missions in Africa is a significant concern,” Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Foreign Policy. “While the global need and demands on the department are immense, the dire staffing and human resource situation reflects Africa as an afterthought rather than a priority of global significance.” (https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/22/africa-embassies-short-staffed-us-sahel-china-russia/) Senior officials at the State Department say they are working to fill the gaps as quickly as they can.