Head of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received, on Monday Feb. 6, 2023, in Kinshasha the credentials of Lucy Tamlyn, the United States Ambassador to DRC. (Credit: twitter.com/Presidence_RDC
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
United States Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn presented her credentials this week to H.E. DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasha. Tamlyn is President Biden’s new American ambassador to the DR Congo. Prior to arriving in Kinshasa, ambassador Tamlyn served as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan. In January 2022, the U.S. Department of State dispatched Tamlyn, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, to serve as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, at the Khartoum Embassy. The move followed the outgoing Chargé d’Affaires Brian Shukan’s nomination as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. Tamlyn arrived in Sudan amid a state of political chaos following the October 2021 military coup, with deadly violence in Khartoum. At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was sending Ambassador Tamlyn to Khartoum during a “critical juncture in Sudan’s democratic transition” with the” full confidence of Washington” behind her. Tamlyn served in the role until the nomination and confirmation of John Godfrey, who in September 2022 became the first American ambassador to Sudan in 25 years. Tamlyn replaced the former US ambassador in DRC Michael “Mike” Hammer. Ambassador Hammer, a veteran diplomat, was selected to succeed David Satterfield as U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. Previously Tamlyn served as U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic, and ambassador to Republic of Benin.
“I am honored to be President Biden’s representative in the DRC and I look forward to strengthening the ties of friendship and cooperation between our two countries”
-United States Ambassador to DR Congo Lucy Tamlyn
U.S. Ambassador To the DR Congo Lucy Tamlyn (Credit: Department of State)
Ambassador Tamlyn earned a B.A. from Saint John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland and a Master’s Degree from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs in New York. She has also served as Director in the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan in the Department of State, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Lisbon, Portugal; Economic Counselor, U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, France; Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader, Erbil, Iraq; and Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, N’Djamena, Chad. Tamlyn speaks French and Portuguese.
DR Congo plays key role in stability of region
The United States established diplomatic relations with the DRC in 1960, following its independence from Belgium. The DRC is a country in Central Africa bordered to the west by the South Atlantic Ocean. By area, the DRC is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. It is a country rich in strategic minerals ripe for exploitation.
DRC has nearly half the world’s known reserves of cobalt, an ingredient in electric car batteries, and provided over 70% of global cobalt production in 2021. DRC is also a top global copper producer. DRC also
produces diamonds and zinc, along with tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold.
DRC’s challenges are stark. The country is rich in minerals, forest resources, and agricultural and
hydroelectric potential, but most Congolese live in poverty
“From Climate Change to Regional Security, the DRC Looms Large” – Michelle Gavin wrote in a blog post for the Council on Foreign Relations Jul 13, 2022.
“It’s obvious that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plays a central role in broader regional stability – or the lack of it. The recent resurgence of the March 23 Movement (M23) is only the latest in a long history of brutally violent armed movements, often with foreign sponsors, terrorizing civilians in the eastern part of the country, and exploiting natural resources through illicit channels. As neighboring states compete for dominance, they wage proxy conflict on Congolese soil, and heighten risks across borders.”
President Tshisekedi, a former opposition figure, succeeded Joseph Kabila in DRC’s first-ever
electoral transfer of power in 2019. Tshisekedi has pledged to counter corruption, reform the “abusive” state security apparatus, and improve social services. U.S. officials welcomed Tshisekedi’s presidency and pledged to support his reform efforts.
