Ambassador of the United States to Somalia
السفارة الأمريكية في الصومال
Danjiraha Maraykanka u fadhiya Soomaaliya
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of the United States Ambassador
Incumbent
Shane Dixon
Chargé d'affaires ad Interim
since July 24, 2023[1]
StyleHis or Her Excellency (formal)
Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
Reports toUnited States Secretary of State
AppointerPresident of the United States
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
Inaugural holderAndrew G. Lynch
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationJuly 5, 1960
WebsiteU.S. Embassy in Somalia

The United States ambassador to Somalia is the most senior diplomatic representative of the United States federal government assigned to Somalia. From 2015 to 2018 the U.S. maintained a non-resident diplomatic mission in Nairobi for Somalia and its constituent autonomous regions.[2] In January 2013, a senior American government official indicated that the United States could eventually reopen its embassy in Mogadishu, which had closed in the early 1990s.[3] In June 2014, the U.S. State Department also announced that it would soon name a new ambassador to Somalia.[4] In February 2015, the U.S. government nominated its first official ambassador since 1991.[5] In December 2018, the mission returned to Mogadishu.[6]

Overview

Diplomatic relations between the United States and Somalia started in 1960, when the Somali Republic gained independence. The U.S. immediately recognized the Somali government and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The American embassy in Somalia's capital Mogadishu was established on July 1, 1960, with Andrew G. Lynch as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. He was promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary four days later on July 5, 1960.

After the collapse of the Siad Barre regime and the start of the civil war in the early 1990s, the U.S. embassy closed down. However, the American government never formally severed diplomatic ties with Somalia. The United States maintained a regular dialogue with the reconstituted Somali central government through a special envoy based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, before reopening its Mission to Somalia in 2013.[3]

In January 2013, the U.S. announced that it was set to exchange diplomatic notes with the new Federal Government of Somalia, re-establishing official ties with the country for the first time in 20 years. According to the Department of State, the decision was made in recognition of the significant progress that the Somali authorities had achieved on both the political and war fronts.[3][7] A senior American government official also indicated after the announcement that the United States could eventually reopen its embassy in Mogadishu.[3]

Since the reopening of the U.S. Mission to Somalia in fall of 2013,[8] the United States has continued to be represented in Somalia by a special envoy based in Nairobi and titled a Special Representative. On August 26, 2013, the US appointed James P. McAnulty as its Special Representative to Somalia.[9][10]

In 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Katherine Dhanani to become the first U.S. Ambassador to Somalia since the U.S. closed its embassy there in 1991, but she later withdrew from the nomination process for personal reasons.[11]

In June 2016, Stephen Schwartz was sworn in as the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia in a quarter century. Schwartz's appointment came a year after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit to Mogadishu. Schwartz resigned on September 29, 2017.[12]

President Donald J. Trump nominated Donald Yamamoto as the United States Ambassador to Somalia.[13] Mr. Yamamoto was appointed on October 19, 2018.[14]

On April 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Larry André Jr. to be the next United States Ambassador to Somalia. On December 18, 2021, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote and he presented his credentials on February 7, 2022.[15]

Ambassadors

Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Andrew G. Lynch – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary July 5, 1960 July 11, 1960 May 7, 1962
Horace G. Torbert, Jr. – Career FSO[16] February 17, 1962 January 31, 1963 August 29, 1965
Raymond L. Thurston – Career FSO September 1, 1965 November 23, 1965 December 15, 1968
Fred L. Hadsel – Career FSO May 13, 1969 June 28, 1969 July 18, 1971
Matthew J. Looram, Jr. – Career FSO[17] February 15, 1972 March 13, 1972 July 5, 1973
Roger Kirk – Career FSO September 20, 1973 October 8, 1973 February 20, 1975
John L. Loughran – Career FSO May 8, 1975 August 13, 1975 November 5, 1978
Donald K. Petterson – Career FSO October 12, 1978 December 8, 1978 December 30, 1982
Robert B. Oakley – Career FSO September 30, 1982 January 26, 1983 August 12, 1984
Peter S. Bridges – Career FSO[18] November 14, 1984 December 19, 1984 May 14, 1986
John L. Hirsch Chargé d'affaires ad interim May 14, 1986 N/A August 1986
David P. Rawson August 1986 N/A June 3, 1987
T. Frank Crigler – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 24, 1987 June 3, 1987 April 1, 1990
James Keough Bishop – Career FSO June 27, 1990 September 19, 1990 January 5, 1991

Post vacant 1991–2016

Stephen M. Schwartz – Career FSO May 20, 2016 August 9, 2016[19] October 6, 2017[12]
Donald Y. Yamamoto – Career FSO October 19, 2018[14] November 17, 2018 July 2021[20]
Larry André Jr. – Career FSO December 18, 2021 February 7, 2022 May 30, 2023
Timothy Trenkle Chargé d'affaires ad interim May 30, 2023 July 24, 2023
Shane Dixon July 24, 2023 Incumbent

See also

References

Specific
  1. ↑ "Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Shane L. Dixon". U.S. Embassy in Somalia. July 25, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Relations With Somalia". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "US set to formally recognise Somali government after 20-year hiatus". Reuters. January 17, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Taps First Envoy to Somalia in 20 Years". ABC News. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Obama Nominates First U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Since 1991". Goobjoog. February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ "US reopens permanent diplomatic mission in Somalia". December 5, 2018.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Set to Recognize Somali Government". VOA. January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ Qurbejoog.com, article accurately records date that U.S. reopened of its Mission to Somalia, but erroneously refers to McAnulty as "U.S. ambassador to Somalia"
  9. ↑ "About Us". United States Mission to Somalia. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Somalia: U.S. Special Representative James P. McAnulty". US Department of State. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ Aljazeera
  12. 1 2 Hassan, Mohamed Olad (October 6, 2017). "US Ambassador to Somalia Resigns". VOA. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ Getachew, Samuel (July 14, 2018). "Trump appoints Yamamoto as US ambassador to Somalia". The Reporter. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Donald Y. Yamamoto". United States Department of State. October 19, 2018. Archived from the original on December 13, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ "PN376 - Nomination of Larry Edward Andre Jr. for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. December 18, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ Torbert was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on March 12, 1963.
  17. ↑ An earlier nomination of December 15, 1971, was not acted upon by the Senate.
  18. ↑ Bridges was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on July 12, 1985.
  19. ↑ "Stephen Michael Schwartz - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
  20. ↑ "Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Colleen Crenwelge". U.S. Embassy in Somalia. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
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