United States Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe

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R. Barrie Walkley, U.S. Ambassador to São Tomé and Principe

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe comprises two islands in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of central Africa: São Tomé and Príncipe. The islands were uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese explorers sometime between 1469 and 1471. During this time the Portuguese navigators explored the islands and decided that it would be a good location for bases to trade with the mainland.

The first successful settlement of São Tomé was established in 1493 by Álvaro Caminha, who received the land as a grant from the crown. Príncipe was settled in 1500 under a similar arrangement. Attracting settlers proved difficult, however, and most of the earliest inhabitants were “undesirables” sent from Portugal, mostly Jews. In time these settlers found the excellent volcanic soil of the region suitable for agriculture, especially the growing of sugar cane.

The cultivation of sugar cane was a labor-intensive process and the Portuguese began to import large numbers of slaves from the mainland. By the mid-16th century the Portuguese settlers had turned the islands into Africa’s foremost exporter of sugar. São Tomé and Príncipe were taken over and administered by the Portuguese crown in 1522 and 1573, respectively.

In the early 19th century, two new cash crops, coffee and cocoa, were introduced. The rich volcanic soils proved well suited to the new cash crop industry, and soon extensive plantations, owned by Portuguese companies or absentee landlords, occupied almost all of the good farmland. By 1908, São Tomé had become the world's largest producer of cocoa, which still is the country's most important crop.

Although Portugal officially abolished slavery in 1876, the practice of forced paid labor continued. Sporadic labor unrest and dissatisfaction continued well into the 20th century, culminating in an outbreak of riots in 1953 in which several hundred African laborers were killed in a clash with their Portuguese rulers.

By the late 1950s, when other emerging nations across the African Continent were demanding independence, a small group of São Toméans had formed the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe) (MLSTP), which eventually established its base in nearby Gabon. Picking up momentum in the 1960s, events moved quickly after the overthrow of the Caetano dictatorship in Portugal in April 1974. The new Portuguese regime was committed to the dissolution of its overseas colonies. In November 1974, their representatives met with the MLSTP in Algiers and worked out an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty. After a period of transitional government, São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation of São Tomé and Príncipe and moved to establish diplomatic relations. On December 11, 1975, the current ambassador to nearby Gabon, Andrew L. Steigman, was given an additional commission to São Tomé and Príncipe, although he remained resident in Libreville, Gabon.

As of 2006, the ambassador to Gabon serves concurrently as the ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe. No mission has been established in São Tomé, the capital of the republic.

1 Ambassadors
2 References
3 See also
4 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.

Andrew L. Steigman – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 10, 1975
- Presented credentials: August 9, 1975
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, August 21, 1977
Arthur T. Tienken – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 3, 1978
- Presented credentials: March 6, 1978
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, July 19, 1981
Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 11, 1981
- Presented credentials: January 19, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, August 3, 1984
Larry C. Williamson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 13, 1984
- Presented credentials: November 20, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, August 21, 1987
Warren Clark, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 10, 1987
- Presented credentials: September 19, 1987
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, August 24, 1989
Keith Leveret Wauchope – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 6, 1989
- Presented credentials: December 8, 1989
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, July 13, 1992
Joseph Charles Wilson IV – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 14, 1992
- Presented credentials: September 17, 1992
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville, August 5, 1995
Elizabeth Raspolic – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 3, 1995
- Presented credentials: November 29, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville July 24, 1998
James V. Ledesma – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 22, 1998
- Presented credentials: December 16, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left Libreville June 18, 2001
Note: The post was vacant June 2001–June 2002. Thomas F. Daughton served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in the interval.
Kenneth Price Moorfield – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: January 30, 2002
- Presented credentials: June 20, 2002
- Terminated mission: 2004(?)
R. Barrie Walkley – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 2, 2004
- Presented credentials: November 12, 2004
- Terminated mission: Incumbent