United States Ambassador to Rwanda

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Michael R. Arietti, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda

The part of Africa that is now Rwanda was a feudal monarchy headed by a mwami (king) and a feudal hierarchy of Tutsi nobles and gentry until 1899. In that year the mwami submitted to a German protectorate without resistance. In 1915 during World War I, Belgian troops from Zaire chased the small number of Germans out of Rwanda and took control of the country.

After WWI Germany lost its overseas possessions and the League of Nations mandated Rwanda and its southern neighbor, Burundi, to Belgium as the territory of Ruanda-Urundi. Following World War II, Ruanda-Urundi became a United Nations Trust Territory with Belgium as the administrative authority.

Following a period of strife between the Hutu and Tutsi, the Tutsi monarchy was overthrown in 1959 and the Hutu Emancipation Movement (Parmehuto) assumed political control of the country. In 1961 a UN-supervised election was held and the Parmehuto won an overwhelming victory.

In June 1962 the UN General Assembly terminated the Belgian trusteeship and granted full independence to Rwanda and Burundi. The United States immediately recognized the Rwandan government and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. Embassy in the capital Kigali was established on July 1, 1962, with David J.S. Manbey as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. Charles D. Withers was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Rwanda on March 9, 1963.

1 Ambassadors
2 See also
3 Sources
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.

Charles D. Withers – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 9, 1963
- Presented credentials: April 19, 1963
- Terminated mission: Left post September 15, 1966
Leo G. Cyr – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 19, 1966
- Presented credentials: November 4, 1966
- Terminated mission: Left post September 29, 1971
Robert Foster Corrigan – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 9, 1971
- Presented credentials: March 24, 1972
- Terminated mission: Left post August 3, 1973
Robert E. Fritts – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 28, 1974
- Presented credentials: April 18, 1974
- Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 1976
T. Frank Crigler – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 16, 1976
- Presented credentials: October 29, 1976
- Terminated mission: Left post May 12, 1979
Harry R. Melone, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 6, 1979
- Presented credentials: December 28, 1979
- Terminated mission: Left post August 17, 1982
John Blane – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 30, 1982
- Presented credentials: November 9, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post July 16, 1985
John Edwin Upston – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 17, 1985
- Presented credentials: February 13, 1986
- Terminated mission: Left post July 14, 1987
Leonard H.O. Spearman – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 5, 1988
- Presented credentials: April 27, 1988
- Terminated mission: Left post November 10, 1990
Robert A. Flaten – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 30, 1990
- Presented credentials: December 17, 1990
- Terminated mission: Left post November 23, 1993
David P. Rawson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 22, 1993
- Presented credentials: January 8, 1994
- Terminated mission: Left post January 6, 1996
Robert E. Gribbin, 3rd – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 19, 1995
- Presented credentials: January 10, 1996
- Terminated mission: Left post January 5, 1999
George McDade Staples – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 26, 1998
- Presented credentials: January 27, 1999
- Terminated mission: Left post September 22, 2001
Margaret K. McMillion – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 5, 2001
- Presented credentials: December 13, 2001
- Terminated mission: Left post July 10, 2004
Michael R. Arietti – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 2, 2005
- Presented credentials: December 5, 2005
- Terminated mission: Incumbent