The ambassador of the United States to Algeria is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Algeria.
Until 1962, Algeria had been under the dominion of France. Independence from France was formally declared on July 3, 1962. The United States and France both formally recognized Algeria on that same day. The Ottoman government had recognized the United States in 1795, but formal diplomatic relations had not been established.
The U.S. has had consular representation in Algeria intermittently since 1796. On September 29, 1962, diplomatic relations between Algeria and the United States were formally established when the U.S. Consulate General in Algiers was raised to embassy status. William J. Porter was appointed as the first chargé d'affaires ad interim pending appointment of an ambassador to Algiers. He was promoted to ambassador on November 29, 1962.
Algeria severed diplomatic relations with the United States on June 6, 1967, in the wake of the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War. A U.S. Interests Section was established in the Swiss Embassy. The United States and Algeria reestablished diplomatic relations, and their respective embassies in Algiers and Washington reopened on November 12, 1974.
Ambassadors and chiefs of mission +#NameAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated mission -William J. Porter – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJuly 3, 1962Promoted to ambassador, November 29, 19621William J. Porter – Career FSOPorter was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on Mar 9, 1963.November 29, 1962December 17, 1962July 29, 19652John D. Jernegan – Career FSOJuly 22, 1965October 13, 1965June 10, 1967 -Richard Bordeaux Parker – Career FSOChargé d'AffairesNovember 12, 1974Promoted to ambassador, December 18, 19743Richard Bordeaux Parker – Career FSODecember 18, 1974January 17, 1975February 12, 19774Ulric St. Clair Haynes, Jr. – Political appointeeMay 11, 1977July 13, 1977January 28, 1981 -Christopher W. S. Ross – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJanuary 28, 1981September 19815Michael H. Newlin – Career FSOSeptember 28, 1981October 28, 1981July 21, 19856L. Craig Johnstone – Career FSOJuly 12, 1985September 9, 1985July 10, 19887Christopher W.S. Ross – Career FSOAugust 12, 1988September 20, 1988August 14, 19918Mary Ann Casey – Career FSOJuly 2, 1991September 8, 1991October 19, 19949Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSOJuly 5, 1994September 18, 1994September 19, 199710Cameron R. Hume – Career FSONovember 10, 1997December 28, 1997September 13, 200011Janet A. Sanderson – Career FSOSeptember 15, 2000October 30, 2000May 13, 200312Richard W. Erdman – Career FSOMay 23, 2003July 26, 2003January 9, 200613Robert Stephen Ford – Career FSOMay 30, 2006September 4, 2006June 26, 200814David D. Pearce – Career FSOAugust 4, 2008September 2, 2008April 11, 201115Henry S. Ensher – Career FSOJune 1, 2011August 10, 2011September 3, 201416Joan A. Polaschik – Career FSOJuly 29, 2014October 29, 2014April 27, 201717John Desrocher – Career FSOAugust 3, 2017September 5, 2017January 20, 2021 -Gautam Rana – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJanuary 20, 2021February 9, 202218Elizabeth Moore Aubin – Career FSODecember 21, 2021February 9, 2022January 16, 2026 -Ryan L. Palsrok – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJanuary 17, 2026March 1, 2026 -Mark A. Schapiro – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimMarch 1, 2026Present
See also Algeria – United States relations Foreign relations of Algeria Ambassadors of the United States
Notes
References
United States Department of State: Background notes on Algeria
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Algeria United States Department of State: Algeria United States Embassy in Algiers