Rowswell named new ROCK
Following in the footsteps of Elisa Goldberg and Ken Lewis, Ben Rowswell, the deputy head of mission for Canada’s Embassy in Kabul, assumed the position of Representative of Canada in Kandahar on September 23.
The senior civilian in southern Afghanistan, also known as the RoCK, Rowswell has responsibility for coordinating diplomatic and reconstruction efforts, while working with the Canadian Forces and international partners.
A 16-year veteran of the Foreign Service, he comes to the post with experience as Canada’s representative in Iraq from 2003 to 2005 as well as assignments in Egypt and at the United Nations. He also served as a UN contractor in Somalia.
In other recent Foreign Service appointments, Michèle Lévesque, recently Canada’s ambassador to Morocco, was named ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. A former executive with both the Canadian International Development Agency and the International Development Research Centre, Lévesque has served as ambassador to Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. She succeeds Janet Graham.
Jean-Carol Pelletier was named High Commissioner to the Republic of Cameroon, succeeding Jean-Pierre Lavoie. In addition to embassy counsellor positions in Kinshasa, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), with accreditation to Rwanda, Burundi and Congo, and in Burkina Faso, Pettetier has held a number of positions in the Francophone Africa Division’s trade section and Passport Canada.
François Montour was named High Commissioner to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname. In addition to postings in Kathmandu, Bamako and Haiti, where he was closely involved in supporting the legislative and presidential elections held in 2005, Montour has held several positions with the Canadian International Development Agency. He succeeds Charles Court.
And Kris Panday, most recently minister-counsellor (Congressional and Legal Affairs) at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, becomes Canada’s first Consul General in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). A 20-year veteran of DFAIT, he has served Port of Spain, Singapore, Seoul and Washington.
