United States Ambassador to Zambia

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Carmen M. Martinez, U.S. 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.

1 Ambassadors
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Ambassadors

Diplomatic Terms

Career FSO: After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSO) 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 to reward political friends.

Appointed: The date that the ambassador took the oath of office—also called “commissioning.” This 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 must be later confirmed 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: For the time being; in the meantime. See ad interim.

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