In a Senate vote, the United States has confirmed Pamela Marie Tremont’s nomination as America’s new ambassador to Zimbabwe.
She is the first female US Ambassador in the country since 1980.
Tremont comes in after its previous ambassador, Brian Nichols, left in 2021 to become Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Since 2022, Elanie French has served as the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Harare.
Tremont has previously served as Deputy Ambassador of the US in Sweden, Ukraine, and Cyprus.
She has also held positions as Deputy Director for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Policy, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, in the State Department, as Political/Economic Counselor of the US Embassy Zambia and as Political-Military Officer in the US Embassy in the United Kingdom.
Tremont’s appointment as ambassador comes at a time when the US has emphasised the need for the Zimbabwean government to maintain transparent, accountable and democratic administration, as well as combating corruption, to preserve national prosperity.
When Tremont was a nominee, she stepped on the government’s toes by claiming that Zimbabweans are well aware that Chinese investment in the country does not help them while discussing how America should oppose Chinese influence in Africa.
Tremont said these remarks when US senators asked her how America can better counter Chinese influence in Africa and growing investment during nomination hearings on March 1, 2023.
In her response, Tremont said American investments directly benefited Zimbabweans, whereas Chinese investments primarily benefited the government.
“Yes, Zimbabwe and China have a long-standing relationship that goes all the way back to Zimbabwe’s war of independence. I think the difference between Chinese investments in Zimbabwe and perhaps other places in Africa, is the US investments of US$4.5 billion that we have invested in Zimbabwean people, have been for the people,” she said at the time.
Read: https://cite.org.zw/zimbabweans-aware-chinese-investments-dont-really-benefit-them-us-official/
At that time, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, through his Twitter account @Tinoedzazvumwe1 warned Tremont against meddling in domestic affairs.
“This girl is set for bitter grief if she steps onto Zim soil with such weird thoughts and plans! She will come to great grief as did those before her. Zimbabwe’s foreign policy is not changed by a foreigner, let alone one already hostile to it! Never!!” said Charamba.
Meanwhile, among her other assignments, Tremont has represented the US State Department as a student at the National Defense University, served as Political Military Officer at the US Embassy Ankara, Turkey, as a Desk Officer for South Africa in the Bureau of African Affairs, and as a Watch Officer in the State Department’s Operations Center.
She also was posted to assignments in Port Louis, Mauritius and Calgary, Canada.
Tremont earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Baylor University and is the recipient of multiple State Department performance awards and the James A. Baker III – C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award for Outstanding Deputy Chief of Mission.
She also received the US Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.
Tremont speaks French and Turkish.
