United States Ambassador to Mozambique

Ambassador of the United States to Mozambique

Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Douglas M. Griffiths
since August 3, 2012
Nominator Barack Obama
Inaugural holder Willard A. De Pree
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Formation February 4, 1976
Website U.S. Embassy - Maputo

Mozambique was an overseas possession of Portugal until 1975. On June 25, 1975, Portugal granted independence to Mozambique, much later than other European nations had freed their own African possessions.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in the capital Maputo (then named Lourenço Marques) was opened November 8, 1975, with Johnnie Carson as chargé d’affaires ad interim. On February 4, 1976, Ambassador Willard A. De Pree was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mozambique.

On March 29, 2012, President Barack Obama, in a White House press release, officially nominated Douglas M. Griffiths to succeed Leslie V. Rowe as the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Mozambique. Griffiths is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and previously served as the U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.[1]

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.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/29/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts
  2. ↑ Simcox was not commissioned. His nomination not acted upon by the Senate.
  3. ↑ An earlier nomination of October 7, 1986, was not acted upon by the Senate.

See also

Sources

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