United States Ambassador to Lesotho

In the 19th century, the area of Southern Africa that is now Lesotho was populated by the Basotho people. Their lands became a single polity (state) under paramount chief Moshoeshoe I in 1822. The state was recognized by Britain in 1843 as "Basutoland" (or "Basotholand"). In order to protect his people from usurpations of his land by Voertrekkers of the Orange Free State, Moshoeshoe appealed to Queen Victoria for assistance, and in 1868 Basutoland was placed under British protection. Thus Basutoland became a member of the British Empire.

In 1955 the Basutoland Council requested the British government to legislate its own internal affairs, and in 1959 a new constitution gave Basutoland its first elected legislature. This was followed in April 1965 with general legislative elections with universal adult suffrage.

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 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

*Note: Pending appointment of the first ambassador, the following officers served as chargé d’affaires "ad interim": Richard St. F. Post (October 1966–July 1968), Norman E. Barth (July 1968–August 1969), and Stephen G. Gebelt (October 1969–December 1970).
*Note: Until 1979 one ambassador was accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. The ambassador was resident in Gaborone, Botswana.
*Charles J. Nelson – Career FSOAccredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana; resident at Gaborone.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 9, 1971
**Presented credentials: September 23, 1971
**Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974
*David B. Bolen – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: February 28, 1974
**Presented credentials: April 25, 1974
**Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976
*Donald R. Norland – Career FSONorland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: November 17, 1976
**Presented credentials: January 6, 1977
**Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, October 6, 1979
*Note: Beginning in 1979, the ambassador was accredited solely to Lesotho and resident in Maseru.
*John R. Clingerman – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 28, 1979
**Presented credentials: November 1, 1979
**Terminated mission: Left post, November 15, 1981
*Keith Lapham Brown – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: March 9, 1982
**Presented credentials: March 25, 1982
**Terminated mission: Left post, December 1, 1983
*S.L. Abbott – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 11, 1984
**Presented credentials: July 3, 1984
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
*Robert M. Smalley – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 15, 1987
**Presented credentials: July 2, 1987
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
*Jerry Alexander Moore, Jr. – Political appointeePresident Bush’s nomination of July 11, 1989 not acted upon by the Senate.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed:
**Presented credentials:
**Terminated mission:
*Note: Howard F. Jeter served as chargé d’affaires "ad interim" July 1989–January 1991.
*Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 22, 1990
**Presented credentials: January 24, 1991
**Terminated mission: Left post, April 25, 1993
*Note: Karl Hoffmann served as chargé d’affaires "ad interim", April 1993–April 1995.
*Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: March 4, 1995
**Presented credentials: April 27, 1995
**Terminated mission: Left post June 10, 1998
*Katherine Hubay Peterson – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 29, 1998
**Presented credentials: September 18, 1998
**Terminated mission: Left post June 1, 2001
*Robert Geers Loftis – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: August 6, 2001
**Presented credentials: October 11, 2001
**Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 2004
*June Carter Perry – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 2, 2004
**Presented credentials: September 23, 2004
**Terminated mission: "Incumbent"

Notes

ee also

*Ambassadors from the United States
*Foreign relations of Lesotho
*History of Lesotho
*Basutoland

References

* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10905.htm United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Lesotho]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2831.htm United States Department of State: Background notes on Lesotho]
*StateDept

External links

* [http://maseru.usembassy.gov/ United States Embassy in Maseru]