This is how devastating the consequences of Musk's clear-cutting are

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• After his departure as an advisor to Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk leaves behind a battered US government.
• In the meantime, the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) has fired almost all employees of the USIP peace institute.
• At the time of Doge's intervention, the Peace Institute was active in 26 conflict zones, including Afghanistan.
• However, a court declared the sudden takeover by Doge to be unlawful.
• USIP was founded by the US Congress in the 1980s as an independent, non-profit think tank. It is unclear whether the institute can be rebuilt.

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The employees of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) were already nervous. The efficiency agency headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk had already removed the institute's board of directors, its acting president and its long-time external advisor. But until 9.30 p.m. on March 28, there was still hope for damage limitation. Then letters of resignation arrived in personal email boxes.

After his departure, Musk now leaves behind a battered US government. The Department of Government Efficiency's (Doge) script remained the same: take over facilities, IT systems and leadership, lay off staff and act so quickly that neither the affected parties themselves nor the courts can react or repair the damage.

Thousands of public sector employees have painfully experienced this approach. What makes USIP, with its 300 employees, special is that the lightning takeover by Doge was declared unlawful by a court. The head office is now back in the hands of the original board and acting president.

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Offensive against peacemaking institution

Whether the institution can be fully restored, however, remains to be seen. Federal judge Beryl A. Howell also raised this question at a hearing. "An elephant in a china store destroys a lot," she said.

USIP was founded in the 1980s by the US Congress as an independent, non-profit think tank. The institute's tasks include peacekeeping as well as preventing and ending conflicts. At the time of the Doge attack, the Peace Institute was active in 26 conflict zones, including Afghanistan.

Fired by email

The institute was one of four organizations targeted by US President Donald Trump's decree number 14217 on 19 February. Despite efforts to explain the importance of USIP, the majority of the board was fired by email on March 14. Only cabinet members Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, as well as the president of the National Defense University, remained ex officio. Within minutes of the termination emails being sent at 4pm, Doge staff attempted to enter the building but were prevented from doing so.

The following weekend, according to court documents, the FBI pressured the institute's security staff. Doge returned the following Monday and gained access to the headquarters with the help of the FBI and Washington police. Employees were escorted out of the building. USIP filed a lawsuit against the action the next day. Then came March 28. By midnight, almost all of the institute's staff had been dismissed.

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Far-reaching consequences

The consequences were "profound and devastating", says Scott Worden, Director of USIP's Afghanistan and Central Asia programs. As the Institute's staff were not government employees, they were not entitled to government benefits. The insurance was also gone. Partners abroad had suddenly lost their support and contacts. Doge quickly took over the building and other assets of the institute. On May 19, Judge Howell finally ruled that the authority's actions were unlawful. The case is now before an appeals court.

A good two weeks later, around ten percent of the people who would otherwise be at the head office are busy getting systems up and running again and carrying out maintenance. Documents that were left behind in the rush to take over are scattered across the desks. As access to the institute's financial resources is difficult, employees have been furloughed and offices abroad remain closed.

Nicoletta Barbera, acting director of USIP's West and Central Africa programs, is among those furloughed. "We have USIP representatives in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger who have had all support from headquarters here withdrawn overnight," she says. When she recently learned of a deadly attack in Burkina Faso, she thought: "What if I had been able to continue our work there during this time?"

Now back in office, USIP President George Moose fears lasting damage - for traumatized employees and relationships with partners worldwide. "This will be difficult to repair," he says.