United States Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea

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

*Albert W. Sherer, Jr. – Career FSOSherer 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 A nomination of January 9, 1969, was withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.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.] Sherer was also accredited to Togo.] 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".]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 13, 1967
**Presented credentials: October 13, 1967
**Terminated mission: Left post March 5, 1970
*Note: Beginning in 1969 one ambassador, resident in Yaoundé, was accredited to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
*Lewis Hoffacker – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: December 2, 1969
**Presented credentials: January 21, 1970
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé June 6, 1972
*C. Robert Moore – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 25, 1972
**Presented credentials: January 9, 1973
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé July 28, 1975
*Herbert J. Spiro – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 24, 1975
**Presented credentials: September 1, 1975
**Terminated mission: Declared "persona non grata" by government of Equatorial Guinea March 14, 1976.
*Note: After the ambassador was rejected by the government of Equatorial Guinea, the post was vacant until 1979.
*Mable Murphy Smythe – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: December 17, 1979
**Presented credentials: December 19, 1979
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé February 24, 1980
*Hume A. Horan – Career FSOHoran continued to serve as ambassador to Cameroon after resignation as ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.] 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".]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 30, 1980
**Presented credentials: August 14, 1980
**Terminated mission: Resigned as Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea September 29, 1981
*Note: In 1981 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
*Alan M. Hardy – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 26, 1981
**Presented credentials: November 19, 1981
**Terminated mission: Left post June 26, 1984
*Francis Stephen Ruddy – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 5, 1984
**Presented credentials: January 27, 1985
**Terminated mission: Left post March 25, 1988
*Chester E. Norris, Jr. – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: February 5, 1988
**Presented credentials: March 15, 1988
**Terminated mission: Left post April 18, 1991
*John E. Bennett – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 2, 1991
**Presented credentials: September 5, 1991
**Terminated mission: Left post February 25, 1994
*Note: 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
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: December 19, 1995
**Presented credentials: May 16, 1996
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé August 17, 1998
*John Melvin Yates – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 22, 1998
**Presented credentials: February 4, 1998
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé November 4, 2001
*George McDade Staples – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 5, 2001
**Presented credentials: January 24, 2002
**Terminated mission: Left Yaoundé, July 10, 2004
*Note: The embassy in Malabo was reopened in 2004 with the ambassador solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.
*R. Niels Marquardt – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 2, 2004
**Presented credentials: September 2, 2004
**Terminated mission: Left post September 2006
*Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 16, 2006
**Presented credentials: "Unknown"
**Terminated mission: "Incumbent"

Notes

ources

* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10506.htm United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Equatorial Guinea]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/7221.htm United States Department of State: Background Notes on Equatorial Guinea]
*StateDept 2006

ee also

*Ambassadors from the United States
*History of Equatorial Guinea

External links

* [http://malabo.usembassy.gov/biography.html United States Embassy in Malabo]
* [http://foia.state.gov/MMS/KOH/key_country.asp?ID=Equatorial+Guinea United States Department of State: Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts: Equatorial Guinea]