United States Ambassador to Zambia

In the late 19th century, the area of southern Africa that is now Zambia was inhabited by the Luba and Lunda people, and also the Ngoni people.

Except for an occasional Portuguese explorer, the area lay untouched by Europeans for centuries. After the mid-19th century, it was penetrated by Western explorers, missionaries, and traders. In 1855 David Livingstone was the first European to see the magnificent waterfalls on the Zambezi River. He named the falls after Queen Victoria, and the Zambian town near the falls is named after him.

In 1888, Cecil Rhodes, spearheading British commercial and political interests in Central Africa, obtained a mineral rights concession from local chiefs. In the same year, the area was proclaimed a British sphere of influence by the European powers at the Berlin Conference. In 1889 Rhodes obtained a Royal Charter for the British South Africa Company and the land was named Rhodesia in 1895 after Cecil Rhodes. He promoted the colonization of the region and its land, labor, and precious metal and mineral resources.

In 1911 the territory was divided into Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe. Northern Rhodesia became a British protectorate.

In 1923 the Crown abrogated the charter of the British South Africa Company and granted Southern Rhodesia self-governing colony status with its own local parliament. After negotiations, the administration of Northern Rhodesia was transferred to the British colonial office in 1924 as a protectorate, with Livingstone as capital. The capital was transferred to Lusaka in 1935. A Legislative Council was established, of which five members were elected by the small European minority (only 4,000 people), but none by the African population.

Agitation for self-government and independence slowly increased over the next decades. In 1953 the two parts of Rhodesia were reunited in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Elections were held in 1962, resulting in an African majority in the legislative council. The council passed resolutions calling for the secession of Northern Rhodesia from the federation and demanding full internal self-government under a new constitution and a new national assembly based on a broader, more democratic franchise. On December 31, 1963, the federation was dissolved, and Northern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia on October 24, 1964.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in Lusaka was established on October 24, 1964—independence day for Zambia. Robert C. Foulon was appointed as chargé d’affaires "ad interim" pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Robert C. Good was appointed on March 11, 1965.

Ambassadors

*Robert C. Good – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: March 11, 1965
**Presented credentials: March 24, 1965
**Terminated mission: Left post December 14, 1968
*Oliver L. Troxel, Jr. – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 27, 1969
**Presented credentials: July 17, 1969
**Terminated mission: Left post May 12, 1972
*Jean M. Wilkowski – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 27, 1972
**Presented credentials: September 26, 1972
**Terminated mission: Left post July 24, 1976
*Stephen Low – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: August 5, 1976
**Presented credentials: August 31, 1976
**Terminated mission: Left post July 5, 1979
*Frank George Wisner II – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: August 2, 1979
**Presented credentials: August 28, 1979
**Terminated mission: Left post April 19, 1982
*Nicholas Platt – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 22, 1982
**Presented credentials: August 31, 1982
**Terminated mission: Left post December 17, 1984
*Paul Julian Hare – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 12, 1985
**Presented credentials: July 31, 1985
**Terminated mission: Left post August 8, 1988
*Jeffrey Davidow – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 11, 1988
**Presented credentials: September 1, 1988
**Terminated mission: Left post March 31, 1990
*Gordon L. Streeb – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 22, 1990
**Presented credentials: November 21, 1990
**Terminated mission: Left post December 27, 1993
*Roland Karl Kuchel – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: August 9, 1993
**Presented credentials: January 14, 1994
**Terminated mission: Left post November 10, 1996
*Arlene Render – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 2, 1996
**Presented credentials: December 20, 1996
**Terminated mission: Left post June 30, 1999
*David B. Dunn – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 7, 1999
**Presented credentials: September 2, 1999
**Terminated mission: Left post July 1, 2002
*Martin George Brennan – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 3, 2002
**Presented credentials: December 5, 2002
**Terminated mission: Left post July 15, 2005
*Carmen M. Martinez – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: November 2, 2005
**Presented credentials: December 12, 2005
**Terminated mission: "Incumbent"

References

*Zimbabwe
*Rhodesia
*History of Zambia
*History of Zimbabwe
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/11344.htm United States Dep’t of State: Ambassadors to Zambia]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2359.htm United States Dep’t of State: Background notes on Zambia]
*StateDept

ee also

*Ambassadors from the United States
*Foreign relations of Zambia

External links

* [http://lusaka.usembassy.gov/ United States Embassy in Lusaka]
* [http://foia.state.gov/MMS/KOH/key_country.asp?ID=Zambia United States Department of State: Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts: Zambia]