United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
From 1877 until 1960, the republic had been a colony of Belgium
, first under the name Congo Free State
and then Belgian Congo
.
The Congo was granted its independence on June 30, 1960, adopting the name “Republic of the Congo” (République du Congo). As the French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen-Congo) also chose the name Republic of Congo upon receiving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as Congo-Léopoldville and Congo-Brazzaville, after their capital cities.
The United States immediately recognized
the new Republic of the Congo and moved to establish diplomatic relations
. The embassy in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa
) was established on June 30, 1960, with John D. Tomlinson as Chargé d'Affaires
ad interim
. The first ambassador, Clare H. Timberlake was appointed on July 5, 1960.
In 1971, President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu changed the country’s official name to Zaire
.
In 1997, President Laurent Kabila restored the name "Democratic Republic of the Congo", previously used from 1964 to 1971.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
From 1877 until 1960, the republic had been a colony of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, first under the name Congo Free State
Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a large area in Central Africa which was privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the Belgians. Its origins lay in Leopold's attracting scientific, and humanitarian backing for a non-governmental organization, the Association internationale africaine...
and then Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
.
The Congo was granted its independence on June 30, 1960, adopting the name “Republic of the Congo” (République du Congo). As the French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen-Congo) also chose the name Republic of Congo upon receiving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as Congo-Léopoldville and Congo-Brazzaville, after their capital cities.
The United States immediately recognized
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
the new Republic of the Congo and moved to establish diplomatic relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. The embassy in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
) was established on June 30, 1960, with John D. Tomlinson as Chargé d'Affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
ad interim
Ad interim
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
. The first ambassador, Clare H. Timberlake was appointed on July 5, 1960.
In 1971, President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu changed the country’s official name to Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
.
In 1997, President Laurent Kabila restored the name "Democratic Republic of the Congo", previously used from 1964 to 1971.
Ambassadors
- Clare H. Timberlake – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 5, 1960
- Presented credentials: July 25, 1960
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 15, 1961
- Edmund A. Gullion – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 3, 1961
- Presented credentials: September 11, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post, February 20, 1964
- G. McMurtrie GodleyG. McMurtrie GodleyGeorge McMurtrie Godley was an American diplomat most notable for serving as United States Ambassador to Laos 1969-1973, at the height of the Vietnam War...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 20, 1964
- Presented credentials: March 23, 1964
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 15, 1966
- Robert H. McBride – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 10, 1967
- Presented credentials: June 29, 1967
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 16, 1969
- Sheldon B. VanceSheldon B. VanceSheldon Baird Vance , born in Crookston, Minnesota, was the U.S. ambassador to Zaire from May 27, 1969 through March 26, 1974...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 27, 1969
- Presented credentials: June 28, 1969
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 26, 1974
- Deane R. HintonDeane R. HintonDeane Roesch Hinton is a career U.S. diplomat and ambassador.-Biography:Hinton was born 12 March 1923 in Fort Missoula, Montana. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1943 and joined the U. S. Army, serving as a 2nd Lt. during World War II...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 20, 1974
- Presented credentials: August 21, 1974
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 21, 1975
- Walter L. CutlerWalter L. CutlerWalter Leon Cutler is a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Congo-Kinshasa , Tunisia , Saudi Arabia , and Ambassador-Designate to Iran . He is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.Walter L...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 20, 1975
- Presented credentials: December 23, 1975
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 9, 1979
- Robert B. Oakley – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 6, 1979
- Presented credentials: November 28, 1979
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 22, 1982
- Peter Dalton Constable – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 30, 1982
- Presented credentials: October 18, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 31, 1984
- Brandon Hambright Grove, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 13, 1984
- Presented credentials: September 18, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left post, September 18, 1987
- William Caldwell HarropWilliam Caldwell HarropWilliam Caldwell Harrop served as US Ambassador to Guinea , Kenya , Seychelles and Israel ....
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 18, 1987
- Presented credentials: January 28, 1988
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 18, 1991
- Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 25, 1991
- Presented credentials: June 11, 1991
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 21, 1992
- Note: The post was vacant March 1992–November 1995. During that period John M. Yates served as chargé d'affaires ad interim March 1992–September 1995; Roger A. Meece served September–November 1995.
- Daniel H. SimpsonDaniel H. SimpsonDaniel Howard Simpson is a former American Foreign Service Officer. He was the United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic , Special Envoy to Somalia and the Ambassador to the Congo-Kinshasa as well as undertaking other overseas assignments in Burundi, South Africa, Zaire Iceland,...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 3, 1995
- Presented credentials: November 23, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left post June 11, 1998
- William Lacy Swing – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 11, 1998
- Presented credentials: October 13, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left post August 11, 2001
- Aubrey HooksAubrey HooksAubrey Hooks is the previous United States ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire . He was previously Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.-References:**...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 12, 2001
- Presented credentials: September 4, 2001
- Terminated mission: April 17, 2004
- Roger A. MeeceRoger A. MeeceRoger Allen Meece is an American diplomat. He has served as United States ambassador to Malawi and Democratic Republic of the Congo , as well as Charge d'affairs to Nigeria and to Ethiopia . He currently heads the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.-Biography:Roger...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 14, 2004
- Presented credentials: August 3, 2004
- Terminated mission: August 14, 2007
- William J. Garvelink – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 2, 2007
- Presented credentials: November 29, 2007
- Terminated mission: 2010
- Samuel C. Laeuchli - Career FSO
- Title: Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
- Appointed: August 2010
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: Unknown
- James F. Entwistle - Career FSO
- Appointed: August 8, 2010
- Oath of Office: August 23, 2010
- Presented credentials: November 4, 2010
- Terminated mission: Unknown
See also
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – United States relations
- Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the CongoForeign relations of the Democratic Republic of the CongoIts location in the center of Africa has made the Democratic Republic of the Congo a key player in the region since independence. Because of its size, mineral wealth, and strategic location, Zaire was able to capitalize on Cold War tensions to garner support from the West...
- Ambassadors from the United StatesAmbassadors from the United StatesThis is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...