List of ambassadors of the United States to Burkina Faso

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Burkina Faso
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Corina Sanders
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
since December 19, 2023 [1]
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder R. Borden Reams
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationOctober 17, 1960
Website U.S. Embassy - Ouagadougou

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta).

Contents

Until 1960 Upper Volta was a French possession as a part of French West Africa. In 1958 Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community (Communauté française), and achieved independence as the Republic of Upper Volta on August 5, 1960.

The United States recognized Upper Volta immediately and assigned its first envoy on the nation's independence day, August 5. The envoy, Donald R. Norland, had presented his credentials as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim on the previous day, August 4, to take effect on the day of independence. Norland was also the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. to the newly independent nations: Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Dahomey (Benin) and Niger while resident in Abidjan.

The first ranking ambassador, R. Borden Reams, was appointed October 17, 1960. He was also the ambassador to the aforementioned countries while resident in Abidjan. On December 31, 1960, an embassy was established in Ouagadougou with a resident Chargé d'affaires. On May 29, 1961, the first ambassador solely accredited to Upper Volta was appointed.

On August 4, 1984, the nation's name was changed to Burkina Faso.

The United States Embassy in Burkina Faso is located in Ouagadougou.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
R. Borden Reams [2] [3] – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 17, 1960December 6, 1960June 26, 1961
Thomas S. Estes – Career FSOMay 29, 1961June 26, 1961July 13, 1966
Elliott P. Skinner – political appointeeMay 27, 1966September 14, 1966July 16, 1969
William E. Schaufele, Jr. – Career FSOSeptember 29, 1969October 16, 1969July 10, 1971
Donald B. Easum – Career FSONovember 5, 1971December 8, 1971January 19, 1974
Pierre R. Graham – Career FSOJune 20, 1974July 30, 1974June 13, 1978
Thomas D. Boyatt – Career FSOJuly 18, 1978September 21, 1978October 23, 1980
Larry C. GrahlChargé d'affaires ad interimOctober 23, 1980November 18, 1981
Julius Waring Walker, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 18, 1981November 18, 1981July 5, 1984
Leonardo Neher – Career FSOJune 28, 1984September 21, 1984August 1, 1987
David H. Shinn – Career FSONovember 6, 1987November 28, 1987August 6, 1990
Edward P. Brynn – Career FSOOctober 22, 1990January 14, 1991April 17, 1993
Donald J. McConnell – Career FSOAugust 9, 1993November 22, 1993June 4, 1996
Sharon P. Wilkinson – Career FSOJuly 11, 1996October 24, 1996July 12, 1999
Jimmy J. Kolker – Career FSONovember 16, 1999January 11, 2000August 2, 2002
J. Anthony Holmes – Career FSOOctober 3, 2002December 23, 2002July 9, 2005
Jeanine E. Jackson – Career FSOFebruary 21, 2006March 24, 2006March 7, 2009
J. Thomas Dougherty – Career FSOAugust 5, 2010September 30, 2010September 30, 2013
Tulinabo S. Mushingi - Career FSOJuly 9, 2013September 17, 2013October 27, 2016
Andrew Robert Young - Career FSOSeptember 28, 2016November 20, 2016March 26, 2020 [4]
Sandra E. Clark - Career FSOAugust 12, 2020September 25, 2020December 18, 2023
Corina SandersChargé d'affaires ad interimDecember 19, 2023Incumbent

Notes

  1. ↑ https://bf.usembassy.gov/chargee-d-affaires-a-i-corina-sanders/
  2. ↑ Reams was commissioned during a recess of the Senate.
  3. ↑ Reams was also accredited to Ivory Coast, Dahomey, and Niger while resident at Abidjan.
  4. ↑ "Andrew R. Young - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".

See also

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References

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