Christopher Dell
Encyclopedia
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
officer who currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
, after having been posted to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Education
Dell obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia CollegeColumbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1978 and a Master of Philosophy from Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 1980.
Diplomatic career
During the 1980s, Dell worked in American embassies and consulates in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and at the Foreign Office. In the 1990s, he was posted to Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. In 2000-2001, he served as the Chief of Mission of the U.S. Office in Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, Kosovo.
From 2001 to 2004, Christopher Dell was U.S. Ambassador to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
Posting to Zimbabwe
Dell was appointed US Ambassador to Zimbabwe on July 2, 2004, and presented his credentials in Harare on September 2. During his tenure, the government of President Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
has carried out Operation Murambatsvina
Operation Murambatsvina
Operation Murambatsvina , also officially known as Operation Restore Order, is a large-scale Zimbabwean government campaign to forcibly clear slum areas across the country...
, which has been described by Mugabe as an “urban renewal” programme and by his political opponents as a crackdown on the urban poor. Western governments, including that of the United States, have condemned it.
Relations between the United States and Zimbabwe have deteriorated as a result of both Operation Murambatsvina and the humanitarian situation in the country, which the United States has blamed on official corruption and mismanagement. In addition, the US named Zimbabwe an abuser of human rights in 2004 annual report.
As a result of tense relations, Dell has borne the brunt of the Zimbabwe government’s displeasure. In mid-October 2005, he was detained for entering a restricted area of the Harare Botanical Gardens. A few weeks later, at a public lecture in the city of Mutare, Dell blamed corruption for the food shortages in the country, which the Zimbabwe government blames on foreign sanctions. On November 8, 2005, Dell was summoned to meet President Mugabe and was told to “go to hell.” The following day, the ambassador was recalled to the United States for consultations. He subsequently returned.
Dell publicly condemned the beating of several opposition Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
leaders and protestors, which occurred on March 11, 2007, including that of party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
.
On March 19, acting on orders from President Mugabe, Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi
Simbarashe Mumbengegwi
Simbarashe Simbaneduku Mumbengegwi is a Zimbabwean politician and diplomat, currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs whose right to entry is currently prohibited by Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the United States. Mumbengegwi was born in Chivi, Zimbabwe...
summoned Dell and other western diplomats to his ministry to receive an official warning to stop interfering in the country's internal affairs. When Mumbengegwi refused to allow the diplomats an opportunity to ask questions, Dell walked out, describing the meeting as a "sham" for the benefit of the state media, who were filming the proceedings.
Dell left Harare the same day for London. The State Department stated that he would return to Zimbabwe soon.
On July 12, 2007, Dell authored a classified cable expressing his confidence that Mugabe would be out of power soon.
On July 14, 2007, Dell left his posting in Zimbabwe without bidding Mugabe farewell. According to Zimbabwean state radio, at the time of his departure he was disappointed because Mugabe remained in office. Dell was then appointed deputy chief of mission in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Posting in Afghanistan
From 2007 to 2009, Dell is Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
Posting in Kosovo
On May 27, 2009, President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Dell to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on July 10, 2009 and sworn-in on July 31, 2009.
Career service
- Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, July 31 - present
- Deputy Chief of Mission, Afghanistan, 2007-July 30, 2009
- Ambassador to Zimbabwe, 2004–2007
- Ambassador to Angola, 2001-2004(Appointed on August 4, 2001; presented his credentials on October 26; left his post on July 12, 2004)
- Chief of Mission, U.S. Office, Pristina, Kosovo, 2000-2001
- Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria, 1997–2000
- Deputy Director, Office of Regional Political Affairs, Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, 1994–1996
- Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Maputo, Mozambique, 1991–1994
- Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for International Security Affairs, 1989–1991
- Executive Assistant to the Special Negotiator for Greek Bases Agreement, Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, 1987–1989
- Desk Officer for Spain and Portugal, Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, 1986–1987
- Staff Assistant, Bureau of Political-Military AffairsBureau of Political-Military AffairsThe Bureau of Political-Military Affairs is an agency within the United States Department of State that bridges the Department of State with the Department of Defense. It provides policy in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense strategy and policy,...
, 1985–1986 - Political Officer, US Embassy Lisbon, Portugal, 1984–1985
- Vice Consul, US Consulate Oporto, Portugal, 1983–1984
- Vice Consul, US Consulate Matamoros, Mexico, 1981–1983
External links
- U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo http://pristina.usembassy.gov/
- U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Deputy Chief of Mission: Christopher William Dell.
- "The End is Nigh" Confidential cable by Dell resuming his views on Zimbabwe and the need for the US to "drive change" there, 2007-07-13, published by WikileaksWikileaksWikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
on 2010-11-29