Bahrain

Khalid Aljalahma departed the post of deputy chief of mission in July.

Mubarak Buti assumed the position of cultural counselor, replacing Aysha Murad, who departed the post in September.

Belgium

Thomas Lambert assumed the position of deputy chief of mission on Aug. 16. He previously served as deputy chief of staff for Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister K. De Gucht and deputy permanent representative at the Belgian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (2009-13).

Fiji

Akuila Vuira assumed the position of first secretary on Sept. 6, replacing Ray Baleikasavu.

Ghana

Samuel Baah-Duodu assumed the position of first secretary (political) on Aug. 16, replacing Kwadwo Antwi Boateng, who departed the post on Aug. 28. Baah-Duodu previously served assistant director IIA at the Multilateral Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Ama Dwemoh Darko assumed the position of minister-counselor on Aug. 19, replacing Emmanuel Opeku, who departed the post on Aug. 28. Darko previously served as a deputy director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

David Kojo Appiah assumed the position of first secretary (accounts) on Aug. 16, replacing Gifty Ocran, who departed the post on Aug. 28. Appiah previously served as protocol officer in the Protocol Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Iran

Mehdi Atefat became director of the Iranian Interests Section of the Embassy of Pakistan in December 2012, replacing Mostafa Rahmani.

Tonga

Mahe Uliuli Sandhurst Tupouniua became ambassador of Tonga to the United States on Sept. 17, 2013 with concurrent accreditation as the permanent representative of Tonga to the United Nations in New York. Ambassador Tupouniua previously served as Tonga’s secretary for foreign affairs and trade in 2012 and secretary for foreign affairs in 2011. He was also Tonga’s ambassador to China from 2009 to 2010. In addition, Ambassador Tupouniua was counselor and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York (2004-08); senior assistant secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999-2004); consul general in San Francisco (1992-96); and assistant secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1990-92). Ambassador Tupouniua holds a master’s in foreign affairs and trade from the University of Monash’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, Australia, as well as a bachelor’s of science in business administration from the University of Phoenix in the United States and a bachelor’s of arts from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Born on July 15, 1966, he is married with three children.