List of ambassadors of the United States to Rwanda

The United States ambassador to Rwanda is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Rwanda.

Ambassador of the United States to Rwanda
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador
Incumbent Eric W. Kneedler since October 18, 2023
Nominator	The president of the United States
Inaugural holder	Charles D. Withers as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Formation	March 9, 1963
Website	U.S. Embassy – Kigali

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.^[1][2]

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission

Name	Title	Appointed	Presented credentials	Terminated mission	Notes
Charles D. Withers – Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	March 9, 1963	April 19, 1963	September 15, 1966
Leo G. Cyr – Career FSO		September 19, 1966	November 4, 1966	September 29, 1971
Robert Foster Corrigan[3] – Career FSO		December 9, 1971	March 24, 1972	August 3, 1973
Robert E. Fritts – Career FSO		February 28, 1974	April 18, 1974	June 18, 1976
T. Frank Crigler – Career FSO		September 16, 1976	October 29, 1976	May 12, 1979
Harry R. Melone, Jr. – Career FSO		November 6, 1979	December 28, 1979	August 17, 1982
John Blane – Career FSO		September 30, 1982	November 9, 1982	July 16, 1985
John Edwin Upston[4] – Political appointee		December 17, 1985	February 13, 1986	July 14, 1987
Leonard H. O. Spearman[5] – Political appointee		February 5, 1988	April 27, 1988	November 10, 1990
Robert A. Flaten – Career FSO		October 30, 1990	December 17, 1990	November 23, 1993
David P. Rawson – Career FSO		November 22, 1993	January 8, 1994	January 6, 1996
Robert E. Gribbin III – Career FSO		December 19, 1995	January 10, 1996	January 5, 1999
George McDade Staples – Career FSO		October 26, 1998	January 27, 1999	September 22, 2001
Margaret K. McMillion – Career FSO		November 5, 2001	December 13, 2001	July 10, 2004
Michael R. Arietti – Career FSO		November 2, 2005	December 5, 2005	November 2, 2008
W. Stuart Symington[6] – Career FSO		August 4, 2008	November 3, 2008	July 5, 2011
Donald W. Koran – Career FSO		July 5, 2011	October 10, 2011	January 7, 2015
Erica Barks-Ruggles – Career FSO		December 15, 2014	January 26, 2015	March 15, 2018
Peter H. Vrooman – Career FSO		February 15, 2018	April 7, 2018	January 24, 2022
Deb MacLean - Career FSO	Chargé d'Affairs ad interim	January 24, 2022		September 13, 2023
Eric W. Kneedler - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	July 27, 2023	October 18, 2023