Washington DC

For hot afternoon, na so dem begin pack cardboard boxes comot first. After dat, na di clap follow.

One by one, workers for di State Department waka comot from dia C Street headquarters. Some no talk, some dey cry, as crowd gather to see wetin dey happen.

Dem sack more than 1,350 US State Department workers on July 11. Dem talk say na one of di biggest diplomatic workforce cuts for US history, and e don make people dey fear say e go affect America influence for di long run.

“Di reason wey dem give be say dis kind sack go ‘make decision-making sharp’ and ‘give embassies more power,’” Rachel Williams, one foreign policy expert wey dey DC, yarn give TRT World.

“Di sack don shake Washington diplomatic people well well. People dey worry say e fit make US lose influence for di places wey dem need am pass,” she add.

Di sack na one of di biggest single-day workforce reduction for di department history.

One memo wey dem share for inside di Bureau of Global Talent Management talk say di sack affect 1,107 civil service workers and 246 Foreign Service members, all of dem dey work for US.

“No be say we wan just dey sack people,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio talk for press briefing over di weekend.

“But if you close di bureau, you no go need di positions again. Make una understand say na di positions dem dey remove, no be di people.”

But for di people wey dem sack, dat kain talk no follow.

Michael Duffin, one senior policy adviser for di Bureau of Counterterrorism, dey di protest wey one cardboard sign talk: ‘Diplomacy matter. Feds matter.’

Him team – di Office of Countering Violent Extremism – dem dissolve am dat morning.

“Nobody for di State Department go talk say reform no dey important,” Duffin yarn reporters. “But to dey sack people anyhow, no matter how dem dey perform, no be di right way to do am.”

Williams talk say she sabi plenty people wey dem sack recently.

“Dem be capable, principled public servants. Career diplomats, experts for dia work – people wey don dey serve both Republican and Democratic governments for decades.”

Di American Foreign Service Association estimate say at least 20 percent of di Foreign Service workforce don already comot dis year. Dem talk say na because of di way dem dey close offices and force people to resign.

Earlier dis year, di State Department tell Congress say dem wan reduce dia US-based workforce by 18 percent through voluntary resignations and sack.

Di target don dey near to achieve now.

“Di Department dey streamline di way dem dey work for US to focus on diplomatic priorities,” one internal State Department notice talk.

“Di headcount reduction dey target non-core functions, duplicate offices, and places wey dem fit find better efficiency,” dem add.

Impact on US global standing

Meanwhile, Democrats for Congress don dey worry about di sack, dem talk say e fit affect US global standing.

“Even though we fit do some reforms to make sure every tax dollar dey work well, dis one no be di way,” one group of Democratic senators write for letter wey dem take oppose di changes.

“To dey cut anyhow no go help our government deliver for di American people in a cost-effective way.”

“Di offices wey dis thing affect pass na di ones wey dey focus on soft power: public diplomacy, human rights, and counter-disinformation. Na dem dey handle long-term influence and values-based engagement, especially for places wey China and Russia dey try shape di narrative,” Williams talk.

“No be just internal trimming,” she add. “Dis administration believe say diplomacy fit dey done by fewer people, faster, with less oversight.”

Stephen Farnsworth, wey be political science professor for di University of Mary Washington, agree with Williams.

“President Trump don always get doubt about di federal bureaucracy, where rules and procedures dey limit wetin him wan do,” he yarn give TRT World.

Earlier dis month, di US Agency for International Development officially shut down, after President Trump give executive order.

By March, more than 80 percent of di agency programmes don already cancel. Di remaining staff and projects dem carry go State Department on July 1.

Di sack na part of di wider restructuring wey di Trump administration dey do.

“Trump believe say na him be di best diplomat for America,” Farnsworth add. “And him feel say him no need big State Department staff.”

For many people inside Foggy Bottom, di question no be whether dem agree with di reforms, but whether dem go survive am.

For press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledge di human cost.

“E dey hard sometimes, as any business for America don learn, say when change dey necessary, but for dis case, we inherit one system wey need reform, and we dey implement am,” she talk.