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List of ambassadors of the United States to Equatorial Guinea

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Ambassador of the United States to Equatorial Guinea
Seal of the United States Department of State
since May 22, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderAlbert W. Sherer, Jr.
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 13, 1967
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Malabo

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.

History

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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.

Ambassadors

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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
Albert W. Sherer Jr. – Career FSO[1][2][3] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 13, 1967 October 13, 1967 March 5, 1970 Beginning in 1969 one ambassador, resident in Yaoundé, was accredited to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
Lewis Hoffacker – Career FSO December 2, 1969 January 21, 1970 Left Yaoundé June 6, 1972
C. Robert Moore – Career FSO September 25, 1972 January 9, 1973 Left Yaoundé July 28, 1975
Herbert J. Spiro – Political appointee July 24, 1975 September 1, 1975 March 14, 1976. Declared persona non grata by government of Equatorial Guinea.

After the ambassador was rejected by the government of Equatorial Guinea, the post was vacant until 1979.

Mabel Murphy Smythe – Political appointee December 17, 1979 December 19, 1979 Left Yaoundé February 24, 1980
Hume A. Horan – Career FSO[4][5] June 30, 1980 August 14, 1980 September 29, 1981 In 1981 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
Alan M. Hardy – Career FSO October 26, 1981 November 19, 1981 June 26, 1984
Francis Stephen Ruddy – Political appointee October 5, 1984 January 27, 1985 March 25, 1988
Chester E. Norris, Jr. – Career FSO February 5, 1988 March 15, 1988 April 18, 1991
John E. Bennett – Career FSO [6] July 2, 1991 September 5, 1991 February 25, 1994 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 December 19, 1995 May 16, 1996 Left Yaoundé August 17, 1998
John Melvin Yates – Career FSO October 22, 1998 February 4, 1999 Left Yaoundé November 4, 2001
George McDade Staples – Career FSO September 5, 2001 January 24, 2002 Left Yaoundé, July 10, 2004 The embassy in Malabo was reopened in 2004 with the ambassador solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
R. Niels Marquardt – Career FSO July 2, 2004 October 29, 2004 September 26, 2006
Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO September 22, 2006 November 23, 2006 November 1, 2008
Alberto M. Fernandez – Career FSO December 29, 2009 March 11, 2010 March 18, 2012
Mark L. Asquino – Career FSO July 5, 2012 October 4, 2012 September 18, 2015
Julie Furuta-Toy – Career FSO October 26, 2015 February 11, 2016 February 25, 2019
Susan N. Stevenson – Career FSO January 2, 2019 April 11, 2019 September 30, 2021
David R. Gilmour – Career FSO December 18, 2021 May 22, 2022 Incumbent

Notes

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  1. ^ Sherer was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 7, 1969. A nomination of January 9, 1969, was withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it. Sherer was renominated January 31 and confirmed February 7, 1969.
  2. ^ Sherer was also accredited to Togo.
  3. ^ During Sherer’s tenure as non-resident ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, the embassy in Santa Isabel (now Malabo) was opened August 1, 1969, with Albert N. Williams as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.
  4. ^ Horan continued to serve as ambassador to Cameroon after resignation as ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.
  5. ^ During Horan’s tenure as non-resident ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, the embassy in Malabo was reestablished June 11, 1981 with Joanne Thompson as chargé d’affaires ad interim.
  6. ^ Farah, Douglas (May 14, 2001). "A Matter of 'Honor' In a Jungle Graveyard". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

See also

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References

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