Donald Yamamoto

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Donald Y. Yamamoto

| image = Donald Y. Yamamoto official photo.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| office = United States Ambassador to Somalia

| term_start = November 17, 2018

| term_end = July 2021

| president = Donald Trump
Joe Biden

| predecessor = Stephen Schwartz

| successor = Larry André Jr.

| office1 = Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

| president1 = Donald Trump

| status1 = Acting

| term_start1 = September 3, 2017

| term_end1 = July 23, 2018

| predecessor1 = Linda Thomas-Greenfield

| successor1 = Tibor P. Nagy

| term_start2 = March 30, 2013

| term_end2 = August 5, 2013

| president2 = Barack Obama

| predecessor2 = Johnnie Carson

| successor2 = Linda Thomas-Greenfield

| office3 = United States Ambassador to Ethiopia

| president3 = George W. Bush
Barack Obama

| term_start3 = November 9, 2006

| term_end3 = July 28, 2009

| predecessor3 = Vicki J. Huddleston

| successor3 = Donald E. Booth

| office4 = United States Ambassador to Djibouti

| president4 = Bill Clinton
George W. Bush

| term_start4 = September 15, 2000

| term_end4 = June 16, 2003

| predecessor4 = Lange Schermerhorn

| successor4 = Marguerita Dianne Ragsdale

| office5 = Charge d’Affaires ad interim to Eritrea

| term_start5 = May 11, 1997

| term_end5 = June 29, 1998

| predecessor5 = John F. Hicks

| successor5 = William Davis Clarke

| president5 = Bill Clinton

| birth_name = Donald Yukio Yamamoto

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}

| birth_place = Seattle, Washington

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality =

| other_names =

| occupation = Diplomat

| children = 2

| education = Columbia College (AB)
Columbia University (MIA)

| awards = Superior Honor Award (4)

| known_for =

}}

Donald Yukio Yamamoto (born 1953){{cite web|title=Donald Y. Yamamoto (1953–)|url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/yamamoto-donald-y|work=Office of the Historian|access-date=3 May 2013|archive-date=July 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725122857/https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/yamamoto-donald-y|url-status=live}} is an American diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to Somalia from 2018 to 2021.{{cite web |title=Arrival of U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Y. Yamamoto |url=https://so.usmission.gov/arrival-of-u-s-ambassador-to-somalia-donald-y-yamamoto/ |publisher=U.S. Mission to Somalia |access-date=7 May 2019 |date=15 November 2018 |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330023901/https://so.usmission.gov/arrival-of-u-s-ambassador-to-somalia-donald-y-yamamoto/ |url-status=live }} Before that he was the acting assistant secretary of state for african affairs with a term of appointment starting September 3, 2017 until July 23, 2018. Yamamoto previously served as the senior vice president of International Programs and Outreach at the National Defense University from 2016 to 2017. Prior to that, he was senior advisor to the Director General of the Foreign Service on personnel reform from 2015 to 2016; he served as Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Mission Somalia office in Mogadishu in 2016; and in senior positions in Kabul, Mazar e-Sharif, and Bagram, Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015.{{cite web|title=Ambassador Donald Yamamoto|url=http://www.ndu.edu/About/Leadership/Article-View/Article/572661/ambassador-wanda-l-nesbitt/|publisher=National Defense University|access-date=10 October 2017|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171010211042/http://www.ndu.edu/About/Leadership/Article-View/Article/572661/ambassador-wanda-l-nesbitt/|url-status=live}} {{PD-notice}}

He was the former acting assistant secretary of state for african affairs from March 30, 2013 to August 5, 2013, U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia from 2006 to 2009 and principal deputy assistant secretary within the Bureau of African Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in November 2006 and presented his credentials to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa on December 6, 2006.{{cite news|publisher=Embassy Press Release|title=Donald Y. Yamamoto sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia|url=http://addisababa.usembassy.gov/|access-date=2006-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206024230/http://addisababa.usembassy.gov/|archive-date=2006-12-06|url-status=dead}} He was formerly the U.S. ambassador to Djibouti from 2000 to 2003 and chargé d’affaires ad interim for Eritrea from 1997 to 1998.{{cite web|title=Donald Yamamoto|url=https://www.academyofdiplomacy.org/member/donald-yamamoto/|access-date= September 5, 2022|language=en-us}}

Early life and education

Yamamoto was born in Seattle, Washington to a Japanese immigrant father and a Nisei mother.{{Cite web|title=A Dedication to Service: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto - National Museum of American Diplomacy|date=May 14, 2021 |url=https://diplomacy.state.gov/u-s-diplomacy-stories/ambassador-donald-yamamoto/|access-date=2021-11-12|language=en-US}} Yamamoto later graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1975 and School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University in 1978.{{cite web |title=US State Department Biography: Donald Y. Yamamoto |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/outofdate/bios/y/8650.htm |access-date=2008-04-12 |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117203752/https://2001-2009.state.gov/outofdate/bios/y/8650.htm |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=Fall 2011|title=CCT Donors 2010–11|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/fall11/webexclusive/iccti_donors_2010_11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229141811/https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/fall11/webexclusive/iccti_donors_2010_11|archive-date=December 29, 2017|access-date=|website=}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=September 6, 2017|title=Donald Yamamoto MIA '78|url=https://sipa.columbia.edu/search/content/Yamamoto|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723035404/https://sipa.columbia.edu/search/content/Yamamoto|archive-date=July 23, 2020|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=Columbia SIPA}}

Yamamoto entered the United States Foreign Service in 1980, serving primarily in Africa, with assignments in the Middle East and Asia , including U.S. Embassy Beijing (as staff aide to the Ambassador and Human Rights Officer during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989),{{Cite web |url=http://addisababa.usembassy.gov/ambcharge.html |publisher=Embassay of the United States, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |title=Donald Y. Yamamoto: U.S. Ambassador To Ethiopia |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807134100/http://addisababa.usembassy.gov/ambcharge.html |archivedate=August 7, 2007 |access-date=January 29, 2022 |url-status=dead }} and U.S. Consulate Fukuoka (as Principal Officer, 1992-1995).{{Cite web |url=https://jp.usembassy.gov/ja/embassy-consulates-ja/fukuoka-ja/past-principal-officers-ja/ |title=在福岡アメリカ領事館歴代首席領事 |trans-title=Past Principal Officers, Consulate of the United States in Fukuoka |publisher=U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190302152446/https://jp.usembassy.gov/ja/embassy-consulates-ja/fukuoka-ja/past-principal-officers-ja/ |archivedate=March 2, 2019 |access-date=January 29, 2022 |url-status=dead }} He received a master's degree from the National War College in 1996 and worked on Capitol Hill on a Congressional Fellowship in 1991.

He is the recipient of a Presidential Distinguished Service Award, Presidential Meritorious Service Award, Secretary's Distinguished Honor Award, over a dozen Senior Performance Awards, the State Department's 2006 Robert Frasure Memorial Award for advancing conflict resolution in Africa, and numerous other awards. He is also one of the youngest diplomats to be promoted to the rank of Career Minister.{{Cite web|title=A Dedication to Service: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto - National Museum of American Diplomacy|date=May 14, 2021 |url=https://diplomacy.state.gov/u-s-diplomacy-stories/ambassador-donald-yamamoto/|access-date=2021-09-04|language=en-US}}

Diplomatic career

=U.S.-Chadian relations=

From April 22–23, 2006, Yamamoto met with current Chadian President Idriss Déby to discuss Chad's dispute with the World Bank over allocation of its petroleum funds and the possibility of a U.S.-led, United Nations-monitored peace keeping force to end the Chadian-Sudanese conflict.

The Government of Chad repeatedly accused the Government of Sudan of complicity in United Front for Democratic Change incursions from Darfur into eastern Chad. Yamamoto is the first official in any government outside of Chad to repeat this claim, saying, "It is evident that there was safe haven and logistical support provided to rebel groups."{{cite news|publisher=AFP|title=Senior US diplomat says 'never too late' to postpone Chad's May election|date=2006-04-25|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060425/pl_afp/chadsudanunrestusoil_060425213717|access-date=January 14, 2017|archive-date=February 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221211137/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060425/pl_afp/chadsudanunrestusoil_060425213717/|url-status=live}}

Chad produces around 100,000 bpd (barrels of oil per day, 2013 figures) which travels through the Chad-Cameroon pipeline, owned and operated by US companies ExxonMobil and Chevron and Malaysian Petronas. The Déby administration threatened to cut off the supply of oil at the end of April if the international community did not intervene to end the rebellion or if ExxonMobil did not pay the government $100 million.{{cite news|publisher=Reuters AlertNet|title=Exxon Mobil still talking with Chad, output normal|date=2006-04-26|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L26755104.htm|access-date=April 27, 2006|archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127052138/https://news.trust.org//humanitarian/|url-status=live}}

The dispute was later resolved, and Chad's oil continues to flow to other countries.

==Chadian-Sudanese conflict==

Yamamoto tried unsuccessfully to convince President Déby to delay the upcoming presidential election which was held on May 3. He later said, "We held a very direct and private discussion on the issue [of whether to postpone the election]... When people say that it's too late to delay an election... it's never too late to do anything. We must focus on what is important... to have a process in place and actual ability of all the people to participate in the process. Any election that doesn't have full participation of all groups then raises issues that they would have to answer for."{{cite news|publisher=Associated Press|title=Diplomat Discussed Delaying Chad Election|date=2006-04-25|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060426/ap_on_re_af/chad_1}}

=U.S.-Ethiopian relations=

File:African Land Forces Summit - Ambassador Donald Y. Yamamoto - 11 May 2010 - 100511-A-8684R-001 (4599272522).jpg

Yamamoto met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on April 22, 2006, to discuss the ongoing process of democratization in Ethiopia and the Ethio-Eritrea boundary dispute. Both leaders were positive about the outcome of the meeting.{{cite news|publisher=The Ethiopian Herald|title=Ethiopia: U.S. Views Democratization Process in Ethiopia Positively: Yamamoto|date=2006-04-25|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200604250567.html|access-date=May 9, 2006|archive-date=February 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208105852/http://allafrica.com/stories/200604250567.html|url-status=live}} In 2010, Yamamoto stated that the 2006 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia had been a mistake and "not a really good idea".{{Cite web |last=Sahra |first=Mohamud |date=2010-03-12 |title=Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia, a Debacle U.S. Official says |url=https://mshale.com/2010/03/12/ethiopian-invasion-of-somalia-a-debacle-u-s-official-says/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Mshale |language=en-US}} In 2021 a widely circulated video showed Yamamato consulting with a TPLF representative on TPLF's military operation to overthrow the Ethiopian government.{{cite news|publisher=Jeff Pearce|title=Ethiopia: The West's Diplomats Meet in Secret to Decide How to Help the TPLF|date=2021-12-03|url=https://jeffpearce.medium.com/ethiopia-the-wests-diplomats-meet-in-secret-to-decide-how-to-help-the-tplf-cb87f2d30777|access-date=Dec 2, 2021|archive-date=December 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202182347/https://jeffpearce.medium.com/ethiopia-the-wests-diplomats-meet-in-secret-to-decide-how-to-help-the-tplf-cb87f2d30777|url-status=live}}

=Assistant secretary of state=

Yamamoto became acting assistant secretary of state for african affairs on March 30, 2013, replacing Johnnie Carson.{{cite news|title=Meet Donald Yamamoto, the man replacing Johnnie Carson|url=http://www.jambonewspot.com/meet-donald-yamamoto-the-man-replacing-johnnie-carson/|access-date=3 May 2013|newspaper=Jambo|date=2 April 2013|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507093026/http://www.jambonewspot.com/meet-donald-yamamoto-the-man-replacing-johnnie-carson/|archive-date=7 May 2013}}

=U.S. ambassador to Somalia=

On 14 July 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Donald Yamamoto as the United States ambassador to Somalia.{{cite news |last1=Getachew |first1=Samuel |title=Trump appoints Yamamoto as US ambassador to Somalia |url=https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/trump-appoints-yamamoto-us-ambassador-somalia |access-date=7 May 2019 |publisher=The Reporter |date=14 July 2018 |archive-date=May 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507042845/https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/trump-appoints-yamamoto-us-ambassador-somalia |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Statement of Donald Y. Yamamoto |url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/082318_Yamamoto_Testimony.pdf |access-date=7 May 2019 |publisher=United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations |date=23 August 2018 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925082403/https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/082318_Yamamoto_Testimony.pdf |url-status=live }} Yamamoto was subsequently confirmed for the position on 19 October 2018.{{cite web |title=Statement by Ambassador Yamamoto on U.S. Support to Somalia |url=https://so.usmission.gov/statement-by-ambassador-yamamoto-on-u-s-support-to-somalia/ |publisher=U.S. Mission to Somalia |access-date=7 May 2019 |date=18 December 2018 |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330023847/https://so.usmission.gov/statement-by-ambassador-yamamoto-on-u-s-support-to-somalia/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Donald Y. Yamamoto |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/288016.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213105950/https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/288016.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 December 2018 |publisher=United States Department of State |access-date=7 May 2019 |date=19 October 2018}} While the US Mission to Somalia is based on the grounds of the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, a permanent diplomatic mission was established in Mogadishu in December 2018.{{cite news |title=US Restores 'Permanent Diplomatic Presence' in Somalia |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-restores-permanent-diplomatic-presence-in-somalia/4687645.html |access-date=7 May 2019 |publisher=VOA News |date=5 December 2018 |archive-date=May 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505035619/https://www.voanews.com/a/us-restores-permanent-diplomatic-presence-in-somalia/4687645.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Finnegan |first1=Conor |title=US reopens permanent diplomatic facility in Somalia after nearly 28 years |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-reopens-permanent-diplomatic-facility-somalia-28-years/story?id=59607753 |access-date=7 May 2019 |work=ABC News |date=4 December 2018 |archive-date=April 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414232109/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-reopens-permanent-diplomatic-facility-somalia-28-years/story?id=59607753 |url-status=live }}