This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).
| Ambassador of the United States to Eswatini | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
Incumbent since October 27, 2023[1]Caitlin Piper Chargé d'Affairs ad interim | |
| Inaugural holder | Charles J. Nelson as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | June 9, 1971 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Mbabane |
By direction of King Mswati III, the English language form of his country's name was changed from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018.[2] 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.[3]
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
edit- Note: Chris C. Pappas, Jr. served as chargé d'affaires September 1968–April 1969. Robert W. Chase served in that capacity, April 1969–August 1971.
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles J. Nelson – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 9, 1971 | November 3, 1971 | March 2, 1974 | One ambassador, resident at Gaborone, was accredited to Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho. |
| David B. Bolen – Career FSO | February 28, 1974 | April 22, 1974 | August 11, 1976 | ||
| Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[4] | November 17, 1976 | February 23, 1978 | September 8, 1979 | In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Swaziland. | |
| Richard Cavins Matheron[5] – Career FSO | November 27, 1979 | March 11, 1980 | May 26, 1982 | ||
| Robert H. Phinny – Political appointee | August 17, 1982 | January 12, 1983 | September 5, 1984 | ||
| Harvey Frans Nelson, Jr. – Career FSO | August 1, 1985 | October 14, 1985 | July 29, 1988 | ||
| Mary A. Ryan – Career FSO | July 11, 1988 | August 25, 1988 | January 24, 1990 | ||
| Stephen H. Rogers – Career FSO | October 22, 1990 | November 15, 1990 | November 19, 1993 | ||
| John T. Sprott – Career FSO | August 9, 1993 | February 17, 1994 | August 1, 1996 | ||
| Alan R. McKee – Career FSO | July 2, 1996 | October 11, 1996 | July 12, 1999 | ||
| Gregory Lee Johnson[6] – Career FSO | November 16, 1999 | February 3, 2000 | October 18, 2001 | ||
| James D. McGee – Career FSO | January 30, 2002 | February 21, 2002 | August 10, 2004 | ||
| Lewis W. Lucke[7] – Career FSO | July 2, 2004 | August 26, 2004 | July 22, 2006 | ||
| Maurice S. Parker – Career FSO | July 20, 2007 | September 21, 2007 | June 12, 2009 | ||
| Earl M. Irving – Career FSO | July 31, 2009 | August 27, 2009 | August 27, 2012 | ||
| Makila James - Career FSO | August 27, 2012 | September 20, 2012 | February 5, 2016 | ||
| Lisa J. Peterson - Career FSO | November 19, 2015 | February 5, 2016 | December 1, 2020 | ||
| Jeanne Maloney - Career FSO | December 9, 2020 | March 4, 2021 | December 20, 2022 | ||
| Caitlin Piper - Career FSO | Chargé d'Affairs ad interim | December 20, 2022 | January 26, 2023 | ||
| Earl R. Miller – Career FSO | January 27, 2023 | October 27, 2023 | |||
| Caitlin Piper - Career FSO | October 27, 2023 | Incumbent |
Notes
edit- ^ "Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim Caitlin Piper". 27 October 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.
- ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR RICHARD C. MATHERON" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. March 1989. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Gregory Lee Johnson". Black Past. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project Foreign Assistance Series AMBASSADOR LEWIS LUCKE" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 16 November 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
