Rahul Sharma (Editor)

United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Nominator
  
Barack Obama

Formation
  
July 5, 1960

United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Inaugural holder
  
Clare H. Timberlake as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Website
  
U.S. Embassy - Kinshasa

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.

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 Godley – 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. Vance – 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. Hinton – 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. Cutler – 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 Harrop – 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. Simpson – 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 Hooks – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: July 12, 2001
  • Presented credentials: September 4, 2001
  • Terminated mission: April 17, 2004
  • Roger A. Meece – 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
  • James C. Swan - Career FSO
  • Appointed: August 6, 2013
  • Oath of Office: September 5, 2013
  • Presented credentials: November 1, 2013
  • Terminated mission: Incumbent

    • References

    United States Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA