Lack of resources hinder African diplomacy in Washington

Politico has an interesting report on the challenges that African countries face in order to impact US politics. Many African countries do not have enough diplomats on the ground, or they lack financial resources to manage their embassies properly. The more startling parts of the report explain how some of the underpaid diplomats often take side jobs with Uber, gas stations, or as delivery drivers.

Many of their embassies have just a handful of diplomats. Those diplomats often are underpaid; some take side jobs in Washington such as Uber or delivery drivers, or even at gas stations, according to a current and a former State Department official familiar with the issue.

“Some embassies go months without getting their allowances because there’s no funding from back home,” one African diplomat said, noting that while some of the embassies host events, they do so “rarely.”