United States Ambassador to Gabon
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In the 15th century, the area of central Africa that is now the nation of Gabon was populated by Bantu groups. Little is known of their civilization prior to European contact.
Gabon’s first confirmed European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word gabao—a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the Atlantic slave trade. Dutch, English, and French traders came in the 16th century.
French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza led his first mission to the Gabon-Congo area in 1875. He founded the town of Franceville, and was later colonial governor.
France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo river. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—“free town” in French.
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. France occupied Gabon in 1885, but did not administer it until 1903.
In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories were Gabon, Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo), Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (now Central African Republic).
Gabon achieved its independence as the Gabonese Republic on August 17, 1960.
The United States immediately recognized the new Gabonese Republic and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The new U.S. embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo had been established two days earlier on August 15. The current resident in Brazzaville, Alan W. Lukens was commissioned also to Gabon and presented his credentials to the government on August 17. The first ambassador, W. Wendell Blancke was appointed on December 12, 1960. He served concurrently as the ambassador to Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo while resident in Brazzaville.
During Blanke’s tenure as non-resident ambassador, the embassy in Libreville was established March 20, 1961, with Walker A. Diamanti as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. In September 1961 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Gabon. In 1975 the ambassador to Gabon was also accredited to the newly independent nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.
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[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: December 12, 1960
- Presented credentials: January 13, 1961
- Terminated mission: Superseded, October 10, 1961
- Charles F. Darlington – Political appointee[3]
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 20, 1961
- Presented credentials: October 18, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 26, 1964
- David M. Bane – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 22, 1965
- Presented credentials: August 14, 1965
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 29, 1969
- Richard Funkhouser – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 13, 1969
- Presented credentials: August 9, 1969
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 2, 1970
- John A. McKesson, III – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 10, 1970
- Presented credentials: February 4, 1971
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 1, 1975
- Andrew L. Steigman – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 10, 1975
- Presented credentials: August 9, 1975
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 21, 1977
- Note: São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975. The U.S. ambassador to Gabon and subsequent ambassadors were concurrently commissioned to São Tomé and Príncipe while resident in Libreville.
- Arthur T. Tienken – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 3, 1978
- Presented credentials: March 6, 1978
- Terminated mission: Left post, 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 post, 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 post, 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 post, 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 post, 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 post, August 5, 1995
- Elizabeth Raspolic – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 3, 1995
- Presented credentials: November 29, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left post 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 post 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
[edit] Notes
- ^ Blancke was also accredited to the Central African Republic, Chad, and Republic of the Congo while resident at Brazzaville.
- ^ Blancke was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 6, 1961.
- ^ Darlington the first ambassador appointed solely to Gabon and resident in Libreville.
[edit] References
- Gabon
- History of Gabon
- United States Dep’t of State: Ambassadors to Gabon
- United States Dep’t of State: Background notes on Gabon
- This article contains material from the US Department of State's Background Notes which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.
