The United States has maintained diplomatic ties to Equatorial Guinea since independence in 1968. Until 1981, US ambassadors served as the contacts to other African countries simultaneously rather than have a separate person just for Equatorial Guinea.
History 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 +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesAlbert 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.Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 13, 1967October 13, 1967March 5, 1970 Beginning in 1969 one ambassador, resident in Yaoundé, was accredited to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.Lewis Hoffacker – Career FSODecember 2, 1969January 21, 1970Left Yaoundé June 6, 1972C. Robert Moore – Career FSOSeptember 25, 1972January 9, 1973Left Yaoundé July 28, 1975Herbert J. Spiro – Political appointeeJuly 24, 1975September 1, 1975March 14, 1976. Declared persona non grata by government of Equatorial Guinea. After the ambassador was rejected by the government of Equatorial Guinea, the post was vacant until 1979.Mabel Murphy Smythe – Political appointeeDecember 17, 1979December 19, 1979Left Yaoundé February 24, 1980Hume 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.June 30, 1980August 14, 1980September 29, 1981 In 1981 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.Alan M. Hardy – Career FSOOctober 26, 1981November 19, 1981June 26, 1984Francis Stephen Ruddy – Political appointeeOctober 5, 1984January 27, 1985March 25, 1988Chester E. Norris, Jr. – Career FSOFebruary 5, 1988March 15, 1988April 18, 1991John E. Bennett – Career FSO July 2, 1991September 5, 1991February 25, 1994 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 FSODecember 19, 1995May 16, 1996Left Yaoundé August 17, 1998John Melvin Yates – Career FSOOctober 22, 1998February 4, 1999Left Yaoundé November 4, 2001George McDade Staples – Career FSOSeptember 5, 2001January 24, 2002Left Yaoundé, July 10, 2004 The embassy in Malabo was reopened in 2004 with the ambassador solely accredited to Equatorial Guinea.R. Niels Marquardt – Career FSOJuly 2, 2004October 29, 2004September 26, 2006Donald C. Johnson – Career FSOSeptember 22, 2006November 23, 2006November 1, 2008Alberto M. Fernandez – Career FSODecember 29, 2009March 11, 2010March 18, 2012Mark L. Asquino – Career FSOJuly 5, 2012October 4, 2012September 18, 2015Julie Furuta-Toy – Career FSOOctober 26, 2015February 11, 2016February 25, 2019Susan N. Stevenson – Career FSOJanuary 2, 2019April 11, 2019September 30, 2021David R. Gilmour – Career FSODecember 18, 2021May 22, 2022October 1, 2026
Notes
See also Equatorial Guinea – United States relations Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background Notes on Equatorial Guinea 2006
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Equatorial Guinea United States Department of State: Equatorial Guinea United States Embassy in Malabo