Category Archives: chargé d’affaires

US Amb. to Ethiopia Geeta Pasi to Retire, Amb. Tracey Ann Jacobson to be CDA

February 1, 2022 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, Appointments, chargé d’affaires, FSOs, Hotspots, Retirement, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

 

The State Department just announced that the US Ambassador to Ethiopia Geeta Pasi “plans to retire to pursue other opportunities.” Foggy Bottom has appointed Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to serve as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, at the Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ambassador Pasi was nominated ambassador in June 2020. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 22, 2020.
The official statement says “The Department of State expresses its great appreciation to Ambassador Pasi, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, for her distinguished public service in advancing the values and interests of the United States around the globe, a career marked by three ambassadorial assignments and senior State Department leadership positions in Washington, D.C. We are particularly grateful for her stewardship of Embassy Addis Ababa during an exceptionally complex period.”
Ambassador Jacobson retired from the State Department in 2017. She was most recently appointed as Afghanistan Task Force Director in July 2021 during the Department’s Operation Allies Refuge.

 

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US Embassy Kyiv Now on Evacuation Status: Voluntary For USG Staff, Mandatory For Family Members

January 24, 2022 By in Ambassadors, Americans Abroad, chargé d’affaires, Consular Work, EUR|Europe, Evacuations, Foreign Affairs, Hotspots, Realities of the FS, Spouses, State Department, U.S. Missions, Ukraine Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

 

On Saturday, January 22, CNN reported that US Embassy Kyiv requested that the State Department authorize the departure of all nonessential staff  and their families, citing “multiple sources familiar with the matter.” Note that “non-emergency” staff is the preferred term, actually.
CNN also reported in early December that the US was working on contingency planning to evacuate Americans from Ukraine, as Russia has continued to mass troops near the border and spark fears of a renewed invasion.
A side note here, this contingency planning is not unique to Ukraine, of course. See here:

Every Foreign Service post is required to have an operative Emergency Action Plan (EAP) with procedures in place to respond to emergencies such as natural disaster, civil unrest, a pandemic or mass casualties. The post EAP is a living document, updated on a continuous basis, and comprehensively reviewed once a year. Diplomatic missions are also required to run mock emergency training drills (usually, an intense two day session every two years) to test their capabilities and the relevance of their EAPs.

On Sunday, January 23, 2022, the State Department issued a Level 4-Do Not Travel Advisory for Ukraine “due to the increased threats of Russian military action and COVID-19.”
The Travel Advisory also announced that the Department authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. direct hire employees (USDH) and ordered the departure of eligible family members (EFM) from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action.
Additionally, the advisory urged U.S. citizens in Ukraine to “consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.”
The State Department has called the developments in Ukraine a crisis and has set up phone lines dedicated to Ukraine-related calls:”
For Ukraine related calls,  please dial 1-833-741-2777 (toll free U.S. and Canada) or +1-606-260-4379 (overseas).
All other calls,  please dial 1-888-407-4747 (toll free U.S. and Canada) or +1-202-501-4444 (overseas).
On Monday, January 24, the US Embassy Kyiv issued a statement announcing the Authorized Departure of U.S. Government Employees and Ordered Departure for Eligible Family Members.
On January 24, the U.S. Department of State authorized the voluntary departure (“authorized departure”) of U.S. government employees and ordered the departure of family members (“ordered departure”) of U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, effective immediately.
Authorized departure gives these employees the option to depart if they wish; their departure is not required. Ordered departure for family members requires that family members leave the country. The U.S. Embassy’s departure status will be reviewed in no later than 30 days.
The Department of State made the decision to authorize departure from Mission Ukraine out of an abundance of caution due to continued Russian efforts to destabilize the country and undermine the security of Ukrainian citizens and others visiting or residing in Ukraine. We have been in consultation with the Ukrainian government about this step and are coordinating with Allied and partner embassies in Kyiv as they determine their posture.
Additionally, the State Department has elevated our previous Travel Advisory for Ukraine to Level Four – Do Not Travel due to the increased threats of significant Russian military action against Ukraine. The Travel Advisory was already at Level Four – Do Not Travel due to COVID-19.
[…]
With respect to U.S. citizens in Ukraine, our primary role is to keep the U.S. citizen community informed of safety and security developments, which could include information on commercial travel options.
[…]
Our Embassy in Kyiv is prepared to meet an immediate uptick in demand for consular services. Over the last several months, the Embassy has prioritized the processing of U.S. passports and immigrant visas, including adoption cases. As always, we will prioritize support for U.S. citizens in emergency situations and are working to ensure our continued capacity to do so.
Read in full here.
No nominee has been announced for the US Ambassadorship in Kyiv as of this writing.  The most recent Senate confirmed ambassador was Marie Yovanovitch who was recalled in May 20, 2019 after a vicious smear campaign by Trump allies.
Embassy Kyiv is currently headed by Kristina Kvien as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.. She was previously appointed CDA from May-June 2019. CDA Kvien’s deputy is Alan Purcell who became Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine in May 2021. He previously served in Ukraine as Political Counselor.

 

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Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn to be Chargé d’Affaires at US Embassy Khartoum

January 18, 2022 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, Appointments, Blinken, chargé d’affaires, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

 

 

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US Embassy Abu Dhabi Issues Security Alert Following Suspected Drone Attacks in UAE

January 18, 2022 By in chargé d’affaires, Hotspots, Realities of the FS, Security, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

 

On January 17, the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a Security Alert following the suspected drone attacks at two locations in the country and reminded U.S. citizens to “maintain a high level of security awareness.”

Location: UAE, Abu Dhabi

    • Musaffah Industrial Area, and
    • A construction site at the new terminal of the Abu Dhabi airport.

Event: There have been reports of explosions at the Musaffah Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi and a fire at the new terminal of the Abu Dhabi airport on January 17, 2022.  Media reports indicate that both incidents were potentially caused by unmanned aerial systems (drones) in the area.  The Embassy reminds all U.S. citizens in the United Arab Emirates to maintain a high level of security awareness.  The possibility of terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern.  Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighboring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and unmanned aerial systems (drones).

The United States Embassy in Abu Dhabi is currently headed by Sean Murphy as Chargé d’Affaires. Mr. Murphy holds the rank of Minister Counselor in the United States Foreign Service. It doesn’t look like the Biden Administration has made an announcement on a nominee to be U.S. Ambassador for UAE.

 

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Around the World in Tweets: Chargés d’affaires Take the Stage

November 8, 2021 By in chargé d’affaires, Diplomatic Life, FSOs, State Department, Trends, U.S. Missions

 

 

@StateDept Announces Return of Amb. Kenneth Merten as @USEmbassyHaiti Chargé d’Affaires

October 15, 2021 By in Ambassadors, chargé d’affaires, FSOs, Hotspots, State Department, Top Ranks, Trends, U.S. Missions, WHA|Western Hemisphere Tags: , , , , , , ,

 

On September 23, following Ambassador Foote’s resignation as Special Envoy for Haiti, State/D Sherman did a damage control interview. When asked who will replace Daniel Foote, she responded:

“I don’t know that we need a replacement.  In part we had named a special envoy after the assassination of the president of Haiti in the aftermath of the horrible storms and earthquakes and all of the other plights that the Haitian people have had to face – the ongoing confrontation of poverty.  But we have an excellent ambassador in Haiti, Michele Sison, who is a nominee for a future post here in the United States.  We have tremendous faith in her and in her leadership.”

So less than a month after that interview, Ambassador Sison has apparently left Haiti.  Secretary Blinken has also announced the former Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth Merten as Chargé d’Affaires at US Embassy Port-au-Prince:

MR PRICE: I am happy to reiterate what the Secretary said. We are grateful that Ken Merten, an experienced department hand, will be going to serve in Port-au-Prince as our chargé d’affaires. As you know, Ambassador Sison is – has been nominated for an important post here. She has returned to the United States. And we’re grateful that Ken Merten has accepted the ask that he go serve in this important role.

QUESTION: So does that mean that she’s, like, left?

MR PRICE: That’s right. That’s right.

QUESTION: So she’s back here?

MR PRICE: That’s correct.

Hookay. So who’s going to assume post as the Bureau of Global Talent Management where Ambassador Merten has been posted as “Senior Bureau Official”? His state.gov bio says he was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Global Talent Management in January 2021. He became Senior Bureau Official after DGHR Carol Perez was elevated as Acting M.

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Around the FS World: Chargé d’Affaires in Kenya, Phils, Morocco, Moldova, Luxembourg, Bahrain, Timor-Leste

October 1, 2021 By in Americans Abroad, chargé d’affaires, Foreign Service, Social Media, Staffing the FS, Top Ranks, U.S. Missions

 

 

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Around the FS World: New Faces at ASEAN, Brasilia, Vancouver, Peshawar, New Delhi

September 24, 2021 By in Appointments, chargé d’affaires, Consulate General, Foreign Service, Social Media, Staffing the FS, U.S. Missions, USAID Tags: , , , , ,

 

Nomination: Amb David R. Gilmour to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

September 9, 2021 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, chargé d’affaires, FSOs, Nominations, Officially In, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,
President Biden recently announced his intent to nominate David R. Gilmour to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea. The WH released the following brief bio:

David R. Gilmour, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

David R. Gilmour, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad.  He is a former U.S. Ambassador to the Togolese Republic.  He has served in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Africa, Director of East African Affairs, and Director of Public Diplomacy for Africa.  He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassies in Panama and Malawi, and Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Mission in Geneva.  Other overseas assignments include Australia, Costa Rica, South Africa and Cameroon.  He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Partnership Excellence Award from the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Partnerships.  Gilmour received a B.A. from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.  He speaks French and Spanish.

If confirmed, Ambassador Gilmour would succeed career diplomat Susan Stevenson who was appointed to the US Embassy in Malabo in 2019.

US Embassy Conakry Issues Shelter in Place Alert, USG Condemns Military Seizure of Power in Guinea

September 7, 2021 By in AF |Africa, Americans Abroad, chargé d’affaires, Consular Work, DCM, Hotspots, Realities of the FS, Security, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

 

 

On September 5, the US Embassy in Conakry issued a security alert warning U.S. citizens of “ongoing potential for disruption, demonstrations, gunfire”:

The events of September 5, 2021 continue to evolve in Guinea. U.S. citizens are reminded to continue to monitor local media, to remain at home or to shelter in place, to avoid demonstrations and large crowds, and to plan safety measures that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.

Meanwhile, Foggy Bottom condemned the military seizure of power in the country:

Violence and any extra-constitutional measures will only erode Guinea’s prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity. These actions could limit the ability of the United States and Guinea’s other international partners to support the country as it navigates a path toward national unity and a brighter future for the Guinean people.

We urge all parties to forego violence and any efforts not supported by the Constitution and stand by the rule of law. We reiterate our encouragement of a process of national dialogue to address concerns sustainably and transparently to enable a peaceful and democratic way forward for Guinea to realize its full potential.

Security Alert – U. S. Embassy Conakry, Guinea (5 September, 2021)
Senior FSO Steven Koutsis assumed office as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at US Embassy Conakry in September 2020. Mr. Koutsis most recently served as CDA in Khartoum, Sudan from November 2016 to September 2019. Prior to that, Mr. Koutsis was Director of the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
Audu Besmer, a career FSO since 1999 arrived as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Conakry in August 2019. His prior overseas assignments include Management Officer in Togo, a detail to the Treasury Department as Deputy Financial Attaché in Japan, and postings at the U.S. Embassies in Zimbabwe and the Dominican Republic.

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