List of ambassadors of the United States to Eswatini

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Eswatini
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Earl R. Miller official photo.jpg
Incumbent
Earl R. Miller
Chargé d'Affairs ad interim
since January 27, 2023
Inaugural holder Charles J. Nelson
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationJune 9, 1971
Website U.S. Embassy - Mbabane

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

Contents

By direction of King Mswati III, the English language form of his country's name was changed from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018. [1] Diplomatic missions were officially notified of this new name on May 18, 2018, and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the new country name "Eswatini" (short-form) or "Kingdom of Eswatini" (long-form) on May 25, 2018 for U.S. government communications and documentation. [2]

After the Second Boer War of 1899–1902, Swaziland became a British protectorate and thus came under the hegemony of the British Empire. In the early years of colonial rule, the British had expected that Swaziland would eventually be incorporated into South Africa. After World War II, however, South Africa’s racial policies induced the United Kingdom to prepare Swaziland for independence. In 1966, the UK Government agreed to discuss a new constitution, and Swaziland became independent on September 6, 1968.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and established an embassy in the capital Mbabane on September 6, 1968, independence day for Swaziland. Chris C. Pappas, Jr., was appointed as chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971. He was accredited to Swaziland, Lesotho, and Botswana while resident in Gaborone, Botswana.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Charles J. Nelson – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 9, 1971November 3, 1971March 2, 1974One ambassador, resident at Gaborone, was accredited to Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
David B. Bolen – Career FSOFebruary 28, 1974April 22, 1974August 11, 1976
Donald R. Norland – Career FSO [3] November 17, 1976February 23, 1978September 8, 1979In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Swaziland.
Richard Cavins Matheron – Career FSONovember 27, 1979March 11, 1980May 26, 1982
Robert H. Phinny – Political appointeeAugust 17, 1982January 12, 1983September 5, 1984
Harvey Frans Nelson, Jr. – Career FSOAugust 1, 1985October 14, 1985July 29, 1988
Mary A. Ryan – Career FSOJuly 11, 1988August 25, 1988January 24, 1990
Stephen H. Rogers – Career FSOOctober 22, 1990November 15, 1990November 19, 1993
John T. Sprott – Career FSOAugust 9, 1993February 17, 1994August 1, 1996
Alan R. McKee – Career FSOJuly 2, 1996October 11, 1996July 12, 1999
Gregory Lee Johnson [4] – Career FSONovember 16, 1999February 3, 2000October 18, 2001
James D. McGee – Career FSOJanuary 30, 2002February 21, 2002August 10, 2004
Lewis W. Lucke – Career FSOJuly 2, 2004August 26, 2004July 22, 2006
Maurice S. Parker – Career FSOJuly 20, 2007September 21, 2007June 12, 2009
Earl M. Irving – Career FSOJuly 31, 2009August 27, 2009August 27, 2012
Makila James - Career FSOAugust 27, 2012September 20, 2012February 5, 2016
Lisa J. Peterson - Career FSONovember 19, 2015February 5, 2016December 1, 2020
Jeanne Maloney - Career FSODecember 9, 2020March 4, 2021December 20, 2022
Caitlin Piper - Career FSOChargé d'Affairs ad interimDecember 20, 2022January 26, 2023
Earl R. Miller – Career FSOJanuary 27, 2023Incumbent

Notes

  1. ↑ Motau, Phephile (May 18, 2018). "Kingdom Of Eswatini Change Now Official". www.times.co.sz. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Appendix A: Notes on Nationality (from Report of the Visa Office 2018)" (PDF). travel.state.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  3. ↑ Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.
  4. ↑ "Gregory Lee Johnson". Black Past. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

See also

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References

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