The United States has maintained diplomatic ties to Equatorial Guinea since independence in 1968. Until 1981, US ambassadors served as the contacts to other African countries simultaneously rather than have a separate person just for Equatorial Guinea.
In the 19th century, the area of Central Africa that now contains the nation of Equatorial Guinea was under Spanish control. The area was known as Spanish Guinea and included the small mainland area of Río Muni and the island of Fernão do Pó (or Fernando Pó), now named Bioko. Rio Muni became a Spanish protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1900. In 1926 the island of Bioko and the mainland area of Río Muni were united as the colony of Spanish Guinea.
In 1959, the Spanish territory of the Gulf of Guinea was established as a province of Spain known as the Spanish Equatorial Region. Local elections were held and representatives elected to the Cortes Generales (Spanish parliament).
In 1963 limited autonomy was granted to Spanish Guinea and the people were able to elect members to its own legislature.
In March 1968, under pressure from Equatorial Guinean nationalists and the United Nations, Spain announced that it would grant independence to Equatorial Guinea. A constitutional convention produced an electoral law and draft constitution. In the presence of a UN observer team, a referendum was held on August 11, 1968, and a new constitution was approved. In September 1968, the first president was elected, and independence was granted in October.
The United States immediately recognized Equatorial Guinea and moved to establish diplomatic relations. Albert W. Sherer, Jr., the ambassador to Togo, was additionally accredited as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Equatorial Guinea on October 28, 1968, and presented his credentials to the president on November 21. Sherer remained resident at Lomé, Togo.
An embassy in Santa Isabel (now Malabo) was opened August 1, 1969, with Albert N. Williams as chargé d'affaires ad interim.
In December 1969 the ambassador to Cameroon was accredited to Equatorial Guinea while resident in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The embassy in Malabo was closed in 1995 and its functions were transferred to the embassy in Cameroon. The embassy was reopened in 2004.
Albert W. Sherer, Jr. – Career FSOTitle: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 13, 1967
Presented credentials: October 13, 1967
Terminated mission: Left post March 5, 1970
Note: Beginning in 1969 one ambassador, resident in Yaoundé, was accredited to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
Lewis Hoffacker – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: December 2, 1969
Presented credentials: January 21, 1970
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé June 6, 1972
C. Robert Moore – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 25, 1972
Presented credentials: January 9, 1973
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé July 28, 1975
Herbert J. Spiro – Political appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 24, 1975
Presented credentials: September 1, 1975
Terminated mission: Declared persona non grata by government of Equatorial Guinea March 14, 1976.
Note: After the ambassador was rejected by the government of Equatorial Guinea, the post was vacant until 1979.
Mable Murphy Smythe – Political appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: December 17, 1979
Presented credentials: December 19, 1979
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé February 24, 1980
Hume A. Horan – Career FSOTitle: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: June 30, 1980
Presented credentials: August 14, 1980
Terminated mission: Resigned as Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea September 29, 1981
Note: In 1981 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
Alan M. Hardy – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 26, 1981
Presented credentials: November 19, 1981
Terminated mission: Left post June 26, 1984
Francis Stephen Ruddy – Political appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 5, 1984
Presented credentials: January 27, 1985
Terminated mission: Left post March 25, 1988
Chester E. Norris, Jr. – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: February 5, 1988
Presented credentials: March 15, 1988
Terminated mission: Left post April 18, 1991
John E. Bennett – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 2, 1991
Presented credentials: September 5, 1991
Terminated mission: Left post February 25, 1994
Note: Embassy Malabo was closed October 31, 1995. Its functions were transferred to the Embassy in Yaoundé November 1, 1995. The ambassador to Cameroon was also accredited to Equatorial Guinea while resident in Yaoundé.
Charles H. Twining – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: December 19, 1995
Presented credentials: May 16, 1996
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé August 17, 1998
John Melvin Yates – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 22, 1998
Presented credentials: February 4, 1998
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé November 4, 2001
George McDade Staples – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 5, 2001
Presented credentials: January 24, 2002
Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé, July 10, 2004
Note: The embassy in Malabo was reopened in 2004 with the ambassador solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
R. Niels Marquardt – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 2, 2004
Presented credentials: September 2, 2004
Terminated mission: Left post September 2006
Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 16, 2006
Presented credentials: Unknown
Terminated mission: July 2008
Alberto M. Fernandez – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: January 27, 2010
Presented credentials: March 11, 2010
Terminated mission: 2012
Mark L. Asquino – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: Unknown
Presented credentials: June 29, 2012
Terminated mission: 2015
Julie Furuta-Toy – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 22, 2015
Presented credentials: January 2016
Terminated mission: Incumbent
