United States Ambassador to Lesotho

Ambassador of the United States to Lesotho

Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Carl B. Fox
as Chargé d'Affaires a.i.

since 2012
Nominator Barack Obama
Inaugural holder Richard St. F. Post
as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
Formation October 4, 1966
Website U.S. Embassy - Maseru

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Lesotho.

Prior to 1965, the area of southern Africa that is now Lesotho was a British protectorate by the name of Basutoland. Along with most of the Empire’s other colonies and protectorates, Basutoland gained full independence from Britain in the 1960s. The nation was granted full autonomy on April 30, 1965. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland was granted independence, governed by a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. At the same time the name of the country was changed to The Kingdom of Lesotho.

The United States immediately recognized Lesotho after the nation gained its independence. An embassy in Maseru was established on October 4, 1966, Lesotho’s independence day. Richard St. F. Post was appointed as chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the arrival of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms


Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d'affaires.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.

2013 Ambassador Appointment

On 1 August 2013, the White House announced the nomination of career Foreign Service officer Matthew T. Harrington to serve as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, pending Senate confirmation.[7]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana; resident at Gaborone.
  2. Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.
  3. President Bush’s nomination of July 11, 1989 not acted upon by the Senate.
  4. "June Carter Perry" (HTML). US Department of State. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  5. "Nolan, Robert" (HTML). US Department of State. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  6. "Bond, Michele Thoren" (HTML). US Department of State. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  7. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts" (HTML). White House Office of the Press Secretary. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2014-04-01.

See also

References

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