| Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | W. Wendell Blancke as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | November 9, 1960 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Brazzaville |
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.
Ambassadors
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U.S. diplomatic terms |
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Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". |
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO[1][2] | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 9, 1960 | December 23, 1960 | December 14, 1963 | |
| Henry L. T. Koren – Career FSO | April 8, 1964 | May 13, 1964 | August 4, 1965 | 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. Swing – Career FSO | April 26, 1979 | May 11, 1979 | May 30, 1981 | ||
| Kenneth Lee Brown – Career FSO | December 11, 1981 | February 13, 1982 | June 10, 1984 | ||
| Alan Wood Lukens – Career FSO | August 13, 1984 | September 22, 1984 | May 6, 1987 | ||
| Leonard Grant Shurtleff – Career FSO | August 10, 1987 | September 26, 1987 | July 5, 1990 | ||
| James Daniel Phillips – Career FSO | June 27, 1990 | August 23, 1990 | September 10, 1993 | ||
| William Christie Ramsay – Career FSO | July 16, 1993 | September 23, 1993 | April 13, 1996 | ||
| Aubrey Hooks – Career FSO | June 6, 1996 | July 11, 1996 | January 9, 1999 | ||
| David H. Kaeuper – Career FSO | November 16, 1999 | December 27, 1999 | September 5, 2002 | ||
| Robin Renee Sanders – Career FSO | November 15, 2002 | February 13, 2003 | July 16, 2005[3] | ||
| Robert Weisberg – Career FSO | March 21, 2006 | April 27, 2006[4] | March 2, 2008 | ||
| Alan W. Eastham – Career FSO | August 22, 2008 | November 18, 2008 | July 23, 2010 | ||
| Christopher W. Murray – Career FSO | August 23, 2010 | September 16, 2010 | August 14, 2013 | ||
| Stephanie S. Sullivan – Career FSO | August 12, 2013 | November 26, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | ||
| Todd Philip Haskell – Career FSO | May 19, 2017 | July 13, 2017 | January 28, 2021[5] | ||
| Daniel Travis | Chargé d’Affaires ad interim | January 28, 2021 | – | March 30, 2022 | |
| Eugene Young – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 18, 2021 | March 30, 2022 | Incumbent |
Notes
- ^ Blancke was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 6, 1961.
- ^ Blancke was also accredited to the Central African Republic, Chad, and Gabon while resident at Brazzaville.
- ^ "Robin Renee Sanders (1954–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Robert Weisberg (1950–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "Chargé d'Affaires Todd P. Haskell". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in South Africa. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
See also
- Republic of the Congo – United States relations
- Foreign relations of the Republic of the Congo
- Ambassadors of the United States
References
- United States Department of State: Background notes on the Republic of Congo
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for the Republic of Congo
- United States Department of State: Republic of the Congo
- United States Embassy in Brazzaville
This page was last edited on 18 September 2023, at 17:44