United States Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo

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Robert Weisberg, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo

In the 15th century, the area of central Africa that is now the Republic of the Congo was under the dominion of the Kongo Empire, the Loango, and the Teke, who built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The first European contacts came in the late 15th century with the Portugese and commercial relationships were quickly established with the kingdoms—trading for slaves captured in the interior. The coastal area was a major source for the Atlantic slave trade, and when that commerce ended in the early 19th century, the power of the Bantu kingdoms eroded.

At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, the European powers divided the realm among Portugal, Belgium, and France, each creating their own spheres of influence. Thus the area came under French sovereignty. Pierre Savorgnon de Brazza, a French empire builder, competed with agents of Belgian King Leopold’s Association Internationale Africaine (International Congo Association) (later Zaire) for control of the Congo River basin. Between 1882 and 1891, treaties were secured with all the main local rulers on the river’s right bank, placing their lands under French protection. 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.

During World War II, the AEF administration sided with Charles de Gaulle, and Brazzaville became the symbolic capital of Free France during 1940–43. The Brazzaville Conference of 1944 heralded a period of major reform in French colonial policy, including the abolition of forced labor, granting of French citizenship to colonial subjects, decentralization of certain powers, and election of local advisory assemblies. Congo benefited from the postwar expansion of colonial administrative and infrastructure spending as a result of its central geographic location within AEF and the federal capital at Brazzaville.

The Loi Cadre (framework law) of 1956 ended dual voting roles and provided for partial self-government for the individual overseas territories. After the September 1958 referendum approving the new French Constitution, AEF was dissolved. Its four territories became autonomous members of the French Community, and Middle Congo was renamed the Republic of the Congo. Formal independence was granted 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.

1 Ambassadors
2 Notes
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Ambassadors

Diplomatic Terms

Career FSO: After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSO) 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 to reward political friends.

Appointed: The date that the ambassador took the oath of office—also called “commissioning.” This 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 must be later confirmed by the Senate.

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. See chargé d’affaires.

ad interim: For the time being; in the meantime. See ad interim.

W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO^[1]^[2]
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 9, 1960
- Presented credentials: December 23, 1960
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 14, 1963
Henry L. T. Koren – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 8, 1964
- Presented credentials: May 13, 1964
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 4, 1965
Note: 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
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 26, 1979
- Presented credentials: May 11, 1979
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 30, 1981
Kenneth Lee Brown – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 11, 1981
- Presented credentials: February 13, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 10, 1984
Alan Wood Lukens – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 13, 1984
- Presented credentials: September 22, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 6, 1987
Leonard Grant Shurtleff – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 10, 1987
- Presented credentials: September 26, 1987
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 5, 1990
James Daniel Phillips – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 27, 1990
- Presented credentials: August 23, 1990
- Terminated mission: Left post, September 10, 1993
William Christie Ramsay – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 16, 1993
- Presented credentials: September 23, 1993
- Terminated mission: Left post, April 13, 1996
Aubrey Hooks – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 6, 1996
- Presented credentials: July 11, 1996
- Terminated mission: Left post January 9, 1999
David H. Kaeuper – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 16, 1999
- Presented credentials: December 27, 1999
- Terminated mission: Left post September 5, 2002
Robin Renee Sanders – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 15, 2002
- Presented credentials: February 13, 2003
- Terminated mission: 2006(?)
Robert Weisberg – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 21, 2006
- Presented credentials: Uknown
- Terminated mission: Incumbent

[edit] 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.