United States Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to the Republic of the Congo
.
From 1885 until 1960, the republic had been under the control of France
as a protectorate
. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa
(AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon
, Chad
, and Oubangui-Chari
(now Central African Republic
). Brazzaville
was selected as the federal capital.
In 1958 Middle Congo became an autonomous colony and was renamed Republic of the Congo. The republic was granted full independence on August 15, 1960. As the Belgian Congo
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
) also chose the name Republic of Congo upon receiving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as Congo-Leopoldville 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 Brazzaville was established August 15, 1960, with Alan W. Lukens as Chargé d'Affaires
ad interim
. The first ambassador, W. Wendell Blancke was appointed on November 9, 1960.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
.
From 1885 until 1960, the republic had been under the control of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as a protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
(AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, and Oubangui-Chari
Oubangui-Chari
Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent Central African Republic . French activity in the area began in 1889 with the establishment of an outpost at Bangui, now the capital of CAR. The territory was named in 1894.In 1903, French...
(now Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
). Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
was selected as the federal capital.
In 1958 Middle Congo became an autonomous colony and was renamed Republic of the Congo. The republic was granted full independence on August 15, 1960. As the 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...
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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...
) also chose the name Republic of Congo upon receiving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as Congo-Leopoldville 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 Brazzaville was established August 15, 1960, with Alan W. Lukens 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, W. Wendell Blancke was appointed on November 9, 1960.
Ambassadors
- W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 9, 1960
- Presented credentials: December 23, 1960
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 14, 1963
- Henry L. T. Koren – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 8, 1964
- Presented credentials: May 13, 1964
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 4, 1965
- Note: Due to civil strife and insecure conditions, the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville was closed and all diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from the country on August 15, 1965. The embassy was reestablished on October 30, 1977, with Jay Katzen as chargé d'affaires ad interim. A new ambassador was appointed on April 26, 1979.
- William L. SwingWilliam L. SwingWilliam Lacy Swing is a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Republic of the Congo , Liberia , South Africa , Nigeria , Haiti , and Democratic Republic of the Congo .He has served as United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Western Sahara...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 26, 1979
- Presented credentials: May 11, 1979
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 30, 1981
- Kenneth Lee Brown – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 11, 1981
- Presented credentials: February 13, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 10, 1984
- Alan Wood Lukens – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 13, 1984
- Presented credentials: September 22, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 6, 1987
- Leonard Grant Shurtleff – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 10, 1987
- Presented credentials: September 26, 1987
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 5, 1990
- James Daniel Phillips – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 27, 1990
- Presented credentials: August 23, 1990
- Terminated mission: Left post, September 10, 1993
- William Christie Ramsay – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 16, 1993
- Presented credentials: September 23, 1993
- Terminated mission: Left post, April 13, 1996
- 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: June 6, 1996
- Presented credentials: July 11, 1996
- Terminated mission: Left post January 9, 1999
- David H. Kaeuper – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 16, 1999
- Presented credentials: December 27, 1999
- Terminated mission: Left post September 5, 2002
- Robin Renee Sanders – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 15, 2002
- Presented credentials: February 13, 2003
- Terminated mission: 2006(?)
- Robert WeisbergRobert WeisbergRobert Weisberg is an Edwin E. Huddleson, Jr. Professor of Law at Stanford Law School, and an expert on criminal law and procedure, and a leading scholar in the law and literature movement.-Biography:...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 21, 2006
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: March 2, 2008
- Alan W. Eastham – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 22, 2008
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: Prior to September 2010
- Christopher W. Murray – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 23, 2010
- Presented credentials: September 16, 2010
- Terminated mission: Incumbent
See also
- Republic of the Congo – United States relations
- Foreign relations of the Republic of the CongoForeign relations of the Republic of the CongoFor the two decades preceding the Republic of the Congo's 1991 National Conference, the country was firmly in the socialist camp, allied principally with the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc nations...
- Ambassadors of the United States