List of ambassadors of the United States to Mozambique

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Mozambique
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador.svg
Flag of a United States ambassador
Charge d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique Abigail L. Dressel.jpg
Incumbent
Abigail L. Dressel
Chargé d'affaires
since August 11, 2025 [1]
NominatorThe president of the United States
AppointerThe president
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Willard Ames De Pree
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationFebruary 4, 1976
Website Ambassador to Mozambique

Mozambique was an overseas possession of Portugal until 1975. On June 25, 1975, Portugal granted independence to Mozambique, much later than other European nations had freed their own African possessions.

Contents

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in the capital Maputo (then named Lourenço Marques) was opened November 8, 1975, with Johnnie Carson as chargé d’affaires ad interim. On February 4, 1976, Ambassador Willard Ames De Pree was appointed as the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mozambique.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Willard Ames De Pree – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 4, 1976April 16, 1976July 7, 1980
William H. Twaddell Chargé d’Affaires ad interimJuly 7, 1980-September 23, 1983
Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 23, 1983November 4, 1983February 12, 1987
Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSO [2] Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 11, 1987September 26, 1987October 12, 1990
Townsend B. Friedman, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 6, 1990November 10, 1990September 15, 1993
Dennis C. Jett – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 16, 1993November 17, 1993July 20, 1996
P. Michael McKinley Chargé d’Affaires ad interimJuly 20, 1996-December 3, 1997
Brian D. Curran – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 24, 1997December 3, 1997June 21, 2000
Sharon P. Wilkinson – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 15, 2000October 25, 2000July 21, 2003
Helen R. Meagher La Lime – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 16, 2003September 3, 2003June 21, 2006
Todd C. Chapman Chargé d'Affaires ad interimJuly 2007-January 2010 [3]
Leslie V. Rowe - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 29, 2009February 10, 2010March 1, 2012
Douglas M. Griffiths - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 5, 2012August 8, 2012December 28, 2015
H. Dean Pittman - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 23, 2015February 18, 2016December 21, 2018
Dennis Walter Hearne - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 31, 2019 [4] April 3, 2019 [5] January 19, 2022
Peter H. Vrooman - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 18, 2021March 3, 2022May 29, 2025
Jeremy Neitzke - Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimMay 30, 2025August 11, 2025
Abigail L. Dressel - Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimAugust 11, 2025Incumbent

See also

Notes

  1. https://mz.usembassy.gov/abigail-l-dressel-charge-daffaires-u-s-embassy-maputo-mozambique/
  2. An earlier nomination of October 7, 1986, was not acted upon by the Senate.
  3. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/chapman-todd-c [ bare URL ]
  4. "Ambassador Dennis Walter Hearne". U.S. Embassy in Mozambique. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  5. "U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique Dennis Walter Hearne presents credentials to Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi". Club of Mozambique. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2019.

Sources