Dana Brown, the United States chargé d’affaires in South Africa, has resigned from the US State Department with immediate effect, multiple sources confirmed.
Dana Brown resigns as chargé d’affaires after attending G20 meeting
Brown, who assumed the role in August 2024, was effectively the second-in-command at the US Embassy in Pretoria.
Her resignation comes just days after she represented the US at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg on 20-21 February 2025.
The meeting was marred by diplomatic tensions after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to attend, citing concerns over South Africa’s policies, including land expropriation and what he described as anti-American sentiment.
The circumstances surrounding Brown’s sudden departure remain unclear, and the US Embassy in Pretoria has yet to issue an official statement.
Tensions escalate between Pretoria and Washington
Brown’s resignation comes at a time of escalating tensions between the US and South Africa.
The Trump administration recently announced a permanent halt to HIV/AIDS funding to the country, cutting off financial support that had been in place for over two decades.
Organisations funded through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were instructed to shut down their operations immediately, leading to widespread concern in the health sector.
Additionally, a delegation from AfriForum, Solidariteit, and the Solidarity Movement met with senior Trump administration officials at the White House to lobby against economic sanctions on South Africa.
The group argued that instead of penalising the country as a whole, the US should focus on applying pressure on ANC leadership over land expropriation and economic transformation policies.
While it is unclear whether Brown’s resignation is linked to these broader political issues, the timing has fuelled speculation about possible diplomatic rifts behind the scenes.
Who is Dana Brown?
Dana M. Brown is a career diplomat who joined the US State Department in 1998.
Before her appointment as deputy chief of mission in South Africa, she held leadership roles in US embassies across Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
She previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Switzerland, where she worked on security cooperation with NATO members, and in Mexico, where she focused on migration, security, and human rights policies.
Brown also held positions in embassies in Cuba, Kosovo, Cape Verde, Portugal, Colombia, and Honduras.
In Washington, she served as Deputy Chancellor of the National Defense University’s College of Information and Cyberspace, enhancing interagency collaboration on cybersecurity.
She holds a degree from Brown University and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of California, San Diego.
Brown’s resignation marks an abrupt end to her tenure in South Africa, leaving questions about the future of US-SA diplomatic relations amid ongoing tensions.
