Ambassador of the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Lucy Tamlyn
since February 6, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderClare H. Timberlake
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationJuly 5, 1960
WebsiteU.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

U.S. diplomatic terms

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
Clare H. Timberlake – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 5, 1960 July 25, 1960 June 15, 1961
Edmund A. Gullion – Career FSO August 3, 1961 September 11, 1961 February 20, 1964
G. McMurtrie Godley – Career FSO February 20, 1964 March 23, 1964 October 15, 1966
Robert H. McBride – Career FSO May 10, 1967 June 29, 1967 May 16, 1969
Sheldon B. Vance – Career FSO May 27, 1969 June 28, 1969 March 26, 1974
Deane R. Hinton – Career FSO[1] June 20, 1974 August 21, 1974 June 21, 1975
Walter L. Cutler – Career FSO November 20, 1975 December 23, 1975 May 9, 1979
Robert B. Oakley – Career FSO November 6, 1979 November 28, 1979 August 22, 1982
Peter Dalton Constable – Career FSO September 30, 1982 October 18, 1982 August 31, 1984
Brandon Hambright Grove, Jr. – Career FSO August 13, 1984 September 18, 1984 September 18, 1987
William Caldwell Harrop – Career FSO December 18, 1987 January 28, 1988 May 18, 1991
Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSO April 25, 1991 June 11, 1991 March 21, 1992
John M. Yates Chargé d'Affaires ad interim March 21, 1992 Unknown September 1995
Roger A. Meece September 1995 Unknown November 23, 1995
Daniel H. Simpson – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 3, 1995 November 23, 1995 June 11, 1998
William Lacy Swing – Career FSO[2] August 11, 1998 October 13, 1998 August 11, 2001
Aubrey Hooks – Career FSO July 12, 2001 September 4, 2001 April 17, 2004
Roger A. Meece – Career FSO May 14, 2004 August 3, 2004 August 14, 2007
William J. Garvelink – Career FSO July 2, 2007 November 29, 2007 May 10, 2010
Samuel C. Laeuchli - Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim August 2010 Unknown November 4, 2010
James F. Entwistle - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 8, 2010 November 4, 2010 August 10, 2013
James C. Swan - Career FSO August 6, 2013 November 1, 2013 December 31, 2016
Michael A. Hammer - Career FSO September 6, 2018 December 22, 2018 July 9, 2022
Lucy Tamlyn - Career FSO June 22, 2022 February 6, 2023 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ Hinton was declared persona non grata by the Government of Zaire on June 18, 1975 and he left the country three days later.
  2. ^ Swing was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned following confirmation on March 25, 1999.

See also

References

External links

Ambassadors of the United States
Categories