| Ambassador of the United States to Burkina Faso | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | R. Borden Reams as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | October 17, 1960 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Ouagadougou |
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta).
Until 1960 Upper Volta was a French possession as a part of French West Africa. In 1958 Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community (Communauté française), and achieved independence as the Republic of Upper Volta on August 5, 1960.
The United States recognized Upper Volta immediately and assigned its first envoy on the nation's independence day, August 5. The envoy, Donald R. Norland, had presented his credentials as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim on the previous day, August 4, to take effect on the day of independence. Norland was also the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. to the newly independent nations: Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Dahomey (Benin) and Niger while resident in Abidjan.
The first ranking ambassador, R. Borden Reams, was appointed October 17, 1960. He was also the ambassador to the aforementioned countries while resident in Abidjan. On December 31, 1960, an embassy was established in Ouagadougou with a resident Chargé d'affaires. On May 29, 1961, the first ambassador solely accredited to Upper Volta was appointed.
On August 4, 1984, the nation's name was changed to Burkina Faso.
The United States Embassy in Burkina Faso is located in Ouagadougou.
Ambassadors
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U.S. diplomatic terms |
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Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". |
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Borden Reams[2][3]– Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | October 17, 1960 | December 6, 1960 | June 26, 1961 | |
| Thomas S. Estes – Career FSO | May 29, 1961 | June 26, 1961 | July 13, 1966 | ||
| Elliott P. Skinner – political appointee | May 27, 1966 | September 14, 1966 | July 16, 1969 | ||
| William E. Schaufele, Jr. – Career FSO | September 29, 1969 | October 16, 1969 | July 10, 1971 | ||
| Donald B. Easum – Career FSO | November 5, 1971 | December 8, 1971 | January 19, 1974 | ||
| Pierre R. Graham – Career FSO | June 20, 1974 | July 30, 1974 | June 13, 1978 | ||
| Thomas D. Boyatt – Career FSO | July 18, 1978 | September 21, 1978 | October 23, 1980 | ||
| Larry C. Grahl | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | October 23, 1980 | November 18, 1981 | ||
| Julius Waring Walker, Jr. – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 18, 1981 | November 18, 1981 | July 5, 1984 | |
| Leonardo Neher – Career FSO | June 28, 1984 | September 21, 1984 | August 1, 1987 | ||
| David H. Shinn – Career FSO | November 6, 1987 | November 28, 1987 | August 6, 1990 | ||
| Edward P. Brynn – Career FSO | October 22, 1990 | January 14, 1991 | April 17, 1993 | ||
| Donald J. McConnell – Career FSO | August 9, 1993 | November 22, 1993 | June 4, 1996 | ||
| Sharon P. Wilkinson – Career FSO | July 11, 1996 | October 24, 1996 | July 12, 1999 | ||
| Jimmy J. Kolker – Career FSO | November 16, 1999 | January 11, 2000 | August 2, 2002 | ||
| J. Anthony Holmes – Career FSO | October 3, 2002 | December 23, 2002 | July 9, 2005 | ||
| Jeanine E. Jackson – Career FSO | February 21, 2006 | March 24, 2006 | March 7, 2009 | ||
| J. Thomas Dougherty – Career FSO | May 27, 2010 | August 5, 2010 | September 30, 2013 | ||
| Tulinabo S. Mushingi - Career FSO | July 9, 2013 | September 17, 2013 | October 27, 2016 | ||
| Andrew Robert Young - Career FSO | September 28, 2016 | November 20, 2016 | March 26, 2020[4] | ||
| Sandra E. Clark - Career FSO | August 12, 2020 | September 25, 2020 | December 18, 2023 | ||
| Corina Sanders | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | December 19, 2023 | Incumbent |
Notes
- ↑ https://bf.usembassy.gov/chargee-d-affaires-a-i-corina-sanders/
- ↑ Reams was commissioned during a recess of the Senate.
- ↑ Reams was also accredited to Ivory Coast, Dahomey, and Niger while resident at Abidjan.
- ↑ "Andrew R. Young - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
See also
References
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Burkina Faso
- United States Department of State: Burkina Faso
- United States Embassy in Ouagadougou
