On March 29, 2012, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Douglas M. Griffiths as the next Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique. The WH released the following brief bio:

Douglas M. Griffiths is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and currently serves as the U.S.

Douglas M. Griffiths
(Photo from USUN)

Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.  From 2006 to 2009, he was the Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Previous overseas assignments include: Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires, ad interim at the United States Embassy to the Republic of Haiti (2004-2006); Counselor for International Economic Affairs at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, Switzerland (2000-2004); and First Secretary of Economic Affairs in Rabat, Morocco (1996-1999).  In Washington, he worked on the South Africa desk during the South African transition to democracy.  He began his career in the Foreign Service in 1988 with overseas assignments in Quebec City, Canada; Lisbon, Portugal; and Maputo, Mozambique.

Mr. Griffiths received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.P.P. from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.

Mr Griffiths’ UN bio indicates that he speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish. He is married and has two children.

If confirmed, he would succeed career diplomat, Leslie V. Rowe who was appointed  Ambassador to Mozambique in 2009. No political appointee has ever succeeded in getting appointed to the US Embassy in Maputo since it was opened in November 8, 1975 after its independence from Portugal.

Related item:
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | March 29, 2012

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