The United States ambassador to Rwanda is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Rwanda.
Until 1962 Rwanda had been a part of the United Nations Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi under the trusteeship of Belgium. In June 1962 the UN General Assembly terminated the Belgian trusteeship and granted full independence to Rwanda and Burundi. The United States immediately recognized the Rwandan government on its independence day, July 1, 1962, and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. Embassy in the capital Kigali was established on July 1, 1962, with David J.S. Manbey as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Charles D. Withers was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Rwanda on March 9, 1963.
Ambassadors and chiefs of mission +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesCharles D. Withers – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 9, 1963April 19, 1963September 15, 1966Leo G. Cyr – Career FSOSeptember 19, 1966November 4, 1966September 29, 1971Robert Foster Corrigan – Career FSODecember 9, 1971March 24, 1972August 3, 1973Robert E. Fritts – Career FSOFebruary 28, 1974April 18, 1974June 18, 1976T. Frank Crigler – Career FSOSeptember 16, 1976October 29, 1976May 12, 1979Harry R. Melone, Jr. – Career FSONovember 6, 1979December 28, 1979August 17, 1982John Blane – Career FSOSeptember 30, 1982November 9, 1982July 16, 1985John Edwin Upston – Political appointeeDecember 17, 1985February 13, 1986July 14, 1987Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointeeFebruary 5, 1988April 27, 1988November 10, 1990Robert A. Flaten – Career FSOOctober 30, 1990December 17, 1990November 23, 1993David P. Rawson – Career FSONovember 22, 1993January 8, 1994January 6, 1996Robert E. Gribbin III – Career FSODecember 19, 1995January 10, 1996January 5, 1999George McDade Staples – Career FSOOctober 26, 1998January 27, 1999September 22, 2001Margaret K. McMillion – Career FSONovember 5, 2001December 13, 2001July 10, 2004Michael R. Arietti – Career FSONovember 2, 2005December 5, 2005November 2, 2008W. Stuart SymingtonUnited States Embassy in Kigali: Ambassador – Career FSOAugust 4, 2008November 3, 2008July 5, 2011Donald W. Koran – Career FSOJuly 5, 2011October 10, 2011January 7, 2015Erica Barks-Ruggles – Career FSODecember 15, 2014January 26, 2015March 15, 2018Peter H. Vrooman – Career FSOFebruary 15, 2018April 7, 2018January 24, 2022Deb MacLean - Career FSOChargé d'Affairs ad interimJanuary 24, 2022September 13, 2023Eric W. Kneedler - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 27, 2023October 18, 2023January 14, 2026John Armiger - Career FSOChargé d'Affairs ad interimJanuary 14, 2026Present
Notes
See also Rwanda – United States relations Foreign relations of Rwanda Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background notes on Rwanda
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Rwanda United States Department of State: Rwanda United States Embassy in Kigali