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Fergus Cochrane-Dyet OBE (born 16 January 1965) is a British diplomat who is High Commissioner to Zambia. In 2011, while serving as High Commissioner to Malawi, he was declared persona non grata and expelled from the country because of controversial comments he made in a leaked diplomatic cable.
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Diplomatic positions
Cochrane-Dyet has held diplomatic positions representing the British government in Afghanistan, Australia, Guinea, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, and Zambia. His first position as head of mission was as the British High Commissioner to the Seychelles from 2007 to 2009. In September 2009, he became the British High Commissioner to Malawi. After his expulsion from Malawi, he spent a year as Deputy Head of Mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. He was appointed British Ambassador to Liberia in 2013 and was replaced in April 2015. He was appointed High Commissioner to Zambia in February 2016 and took up the post when he presented his letter of credence to President Lungu on 21 April 2016.
Cochrane-Dyet was appointed OBE "for services to British foreign policy" in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 2015.
Cochrane-Dyet has been married to Susie since 1987, with three sons: James, Alex and William.
Leaked diplomatic cable controversy
In April 2011, the Malawian newspaper The Nation published an article quoting a leaked diplomatic telegram from Cochrane-Dyet in which he wrote that Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika was "becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism". On 27 April, Malawi's government declared Cochrane-Dyet persona non grata and expelled him from the country. The United Kingdom responded by expelling Malawi's acting high commissioner, Ms. Flossie Chidyaonga. British aid to Malawi was also cut off.
In October 2011, Mutharika apologised for the expulsion of Cochrane-Dyet and lifted his ban from Malawi. Mutharika died in April 2012 and shortly afterward the British Foreign Secretary announced that a new high commissioner would be appointed.