This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

From 1877 until 1960, the republic had been a colony of Belgium, first under the name Congo Free State and then Belgian Congo.

The Congo was granted its independence on June 30, 1960, adopting the name “Republic of the Congo” (République du Congo). As the French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen-Congo) also chose the name Republic of Congo upon receiving its independence, the two countries were more commonly known as Congo-Léopoldville and Congo-Brazzaville, after their capital cities.

The United States immediately recognized the new Republic of the Congo and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The embassy in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) was established on June 30, 1960, with John D. Tomlinson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. The first ambassador, Clare H. Timberlake was appointed on July 5, 1960.

In 1971, President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu changed the country’s official name to Zaire.

In 1997, President Laurent Kabila restored the name "Democratic Republic of the Congo", previously used from 1964 to 1971.

Ambassadors +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesClare H. Timberlake – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 5, 1960July 25, 1960June 15, 1961Edmund A. Gullion – Career FSOAugust 3, 1961September 11, 1961February 20, 1964G. McMurtrie Godley – Career FSOFebruary 20, 1964March 23, 1964October 15, 1966Robert H. McBride – Career FSOMay 10, 1967June 29, 1967May 16, 1969Sheldon B. Vance – Career FSOMay 27, 1969June 28, 1969March 26, 1974Deane R. Hinton – Career FSOHinton was declared persona non grata by the Government of Zaire on June 18, 1975 and he left the country three days later.June 20, 1974August 21, 1974June 21, 1975Walter L. Cutler – Career FSONovember 20, 1975December 23, 1975May 9, 1979Robert B. Oakley – Career FSONovember 6, 1979November 28, 1979August 22, 1982Peter Dalton Constable – Career FSOSeptember 30, 1982October 18, 1982August 31, 1984Brandon Hambright Grove, Jr. – Career FSOAugust 13, 1984September 18, 1984September 18, 1987William Caldwell Harrop – Career FSODecember 18, 1987January 28, 1988May 18, 1991Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSOApril 25, 1991June 11, 1991March 21, 1992John M. YatesChargé d'Affaires ad interimMarch 21, 1992UnknownSeptember 1995Roger A. MeeceSeptember 1995UnknownNovember 23, 1995Daniel H. Simpson – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 3, 1995November 23, 1995June 11, 1998William Lacy Swing – Career FSOSwing was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned following confirmation on March 25, 1999.August 11, 1998October 13, 1998August 11, 2001Aubrey Hooks – Career FSOJuly 12, 2001September 4, 2001April 17, 2004Roger A. Meece – Career FSOMay 14, 2004August 3, 2004August 14, 2007William J. Garvelink – Career FSOJuly 2, 2007November 29, 2007May 10, 2010Samuel C. Laeuchli - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimAugust 2010UnknownNovember 4, 2010James F. Entwistle - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 8, 2010November 4, 2010August 10, 2013James C. Swan - Career FSOAugust 6, 2013November 1, 2013December 31, 2016Michael A. Hammer - Career FSOSeptember 6, 2018December 22, 2018June 1, 2022Lucy Tamlyn - Career FSODecember 20, 2022February 6, 2023December 31, 2025Susan Teller - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 1, 2026January 20, 2026Ian J. McCary - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 20, 2026Present

Notes

See also Democratic Republic of the Congo – United States relations Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ambassadors from the United States

References United States Department of State: Background notes on the Democratic Republic of Congo

External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo United States Department of State: Democratic Republic of the Congo United States Embassy in Kinshasa