The Ambassador of Sweden to Congo-Kinshasa (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Democratic Republic of the Congo) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
History On the occasion of the Republic of the Congo gaining independence on 30 June 1960, Acting Foreign Minister Herman Kling stated in a congratulatory telegram to Congo's Foreign Minister Justin Bomboko that the Swedish government recognized Congo as a sovereign and independent state. Sweden was represented at the establishment of the new state by the head of the political division and a director at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Sverker Åström, who, during the celebrations on 1 July 1960, in Léopoldville, conveyed the King's congratulations to the new state's president, Joseph Kasa-Vubu. Åström also delivered a letter to Congo's Foreign Minister, in which the Swedish government welcomed Congo into the community of free nations and expressed hopes for the development of economic, cultural, and other relations between the two countries.
Six months later, in January 1961, it was proposed in the government budget bill that the Swedish consulate in Léopoldville be replaced by an embassy. On 8 July 1962, the King in Council announced that Count Axel Lewenhaupt had been appointed as Sweden's ambassador to Léopoldville. In September of the same year, it was announced that an agreement establishing diplomatic relations between the governments of Sweden and the Republic of the Congo had been reached. Lewenhaupt, as Sweden's first ambassador to Congo, presented his credentials in October 1962.
In September 1981, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs proposed closing the embassy in Kinshasa. What remained was an embassy office managed by an ambassador based in another location. In November 1982, Ambassador Karl Henrik Andersson was reassigned to the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm while retaining his ambassadorial position for Kinshasa and other accredited posts. The embassy was now managed by a chargé d'affaires and an assistant, while the ambassador was stationed in Stockholm.
In August 1995, the Swedish government decided to close the embassy in Kinshasa, Zaire. The embassy officially closed on 15 December, as part of cost-saving measures implemented for the foreign service. In its place, an honorary consulate general was established in Kinshasa on 1 November 1995. Two years later, in October 1997, the Swedish government announced plans to reopen a Swedish embassy in Kinshasa. In February 1998, Eva Emnéus was appointed counselor at the embassy in Kinshasa. Her appointment in the spring reinstated the chargé d'affaires position, which had been vacant since December 1995. Three years later, a resident ambassador was once again accredited in Kinshasa.
List of representatives NamePeriodResident / Non-residentTitleResident / Concurrent accreditationNotesPresented credentialsRefRepublic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–1965)Axel Lewenhaupt1962–1963 ResidentAmbassadorOctober 1962Dag Malm1964–1965 ResidentAmbassadorDemocratic Republic of the Congo (1965–1971)Dag Malm1965–1967 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of the CongoOlof Bjurström1967–1971 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (from 1969), Gabon, and the People's Republic of the CongoRepublic of Zaire (1971–1997)Henrik Ramel1971–1976 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon (from 1972), Equatorial Guinea (from 1973), Gabon (from 1972), and the People's Republic of the Congo (from 1972)Ragnar Petri1976–1979 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Gabon, and the People's Republic of the Congo (from three from 1977)Karl Henrik Andersson1979 – November 1982 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon (from 1980) and Gabon (from 1980)Erik Häggström1982–1985 ResidentChargé d'affairesKarl Henrik Andersson1983–1984 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm. Accredited to Cameroon, Central African Republic (from 1983), Gabon, People's Republic of the Congo (from 1983), and ZaireOlof Skoglund1985–1990 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm. Accredited to Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon (from 1987), People's Republic of the Congo (from 1986), and ZaireHans Ahlberg1985–1989 ResidentChargé d'affairesLars Ekström1988–1993 ResidentChargé d'affairesBengt Rösiö1990–1992 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm. Accredited to Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, and ZaireCarl-Erhard Lindahl1992–1997 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm. Accredited to Cameroon, Cape Verde (from 1994), Central African Republic, Chad (from 1996), Congo (from 1994), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau (from 1994), and ZaireOve Svensson1994–1995 ResidentChargé d'affairesDemocratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present)Carl-Erhard Lindahl1997–2001 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Stockholm. Accredited to Cameroon, Cape Verde (until 1999), Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (from 1998), Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau (until 1999)Eva Emnéus1998–2000 ResidentChargé d'affairesErik Backman2000–2001 ResidentChargé d'affairesRobert Rydberg2001–2003 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon (from 2002), Central African Republic, Chad (from 2002), Equatorial Guinea (from 2002), Gabon (from 2002), and the Republic of the Congo (from 2002)Magnus Wernstedt2003–2007 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon (from 2004), Central African Republic (from 2004), Chad (from 2004), Equatorial Guinea (from 2004), Gabon (from 2004), and the Republic of the CongoHelena Rietz2007–2008 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the CongoJohan Borgstam2009–2011 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Central African Republic (from 2010), Chad, Equatorial Guinea (from 2010), Gabon (from 2010), and the Republic of the CongoMette Sunnergren2011–2013 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to GabonDemocratic Republic of the Congo: Gabon: Annika Ben David2013–2016 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of the CongoCameroon: Democratic Republic of the Congo: Gabon: Republic of the Congo: Maria HåkanssonSeptember 2016 – 2019 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo23 January 2017Democratic Republic of the Congo: ; Credentials: Gabon: Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea/Gabon/Republic of the Congo: Henric Råsbrant1 September 2019 – 2024 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Gabon31 October 2019Democratic Republic of the Congo: ; Credentials: Gabon: Joakim Vaverka2024–present ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Gabon18 September 2024Democratic Republic of the Congo: ; Credentials: Gabon:
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