Until 1984, Brunei was a self-governing protectorate of the United Kingdom

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

. In 1979 Brunei and the United Kingdom signed a new treaty of friendship and cooperation, and on January 1, 1984, Brunei Darussalam became a fully independent state.

The United States recognized

Diplomatic recognition

Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...

 Brunei immediately. On January 1, 1984, the same day Brunei became independent, the former U.S. Consulate in Bandar Seri Begawan was upgraded to embassy status with Douglas Ellice as Principal Officer and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. The first ranking U.S. ambassador to Brunei was commissioned on April 12 of the same year.

The United States Embassy in Brunei is located in Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan, with an estimated population 140,000 , is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei...

.

List of ambassadors of the United States to Brunei Darussalam

• Barrington King – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: April 12, 1984
  • Presented credentials: May 28, 1984
  • Terminated mission: Left post, April 30, 1987

• Thomas C. Ferguson – Political appointee
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: July 15, 1987
  • Presented credentials: July 2, 1987
  • Terminated mission: Left post, April 9, 1989

• Christopher H. Phillips – Political appointee
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: October 10, 1989
  • Presented credentials: Novem 28, 1989
  • Terminated mission: Left post, October 31, 1991

• Donald Burnham Ensenat
  Donald Ensenat
  Donald B. Ensenat is a retired American diplomat. Until his retirement in 2007, he served as United States Chief of Protocol at the United States Department of State.-Personal:...
  
   – Political appointee
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: August 11, 1992
  • Presented credentials: September 26, 1992
  • Terminated mission: Left post, June 13, 1993

• Theresa Anne Tull – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: October 8, 1993
  • Presented credentials: January 5, 1994
  • Terminated mission: Left post, April 30, 1996

• Glen R. Rase – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: July 2, 1996
  • Presented credentials: September 16, 1996
  • Terminated mission: Left post June 6, 1999

• Sylvia Gaye Stanfield – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: August 9, 1999
  • Presented credentials: November 3, 1999
  • Terminated mission: Left post August 28, 2002

• Gene B. Christy – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: Nov 15, 2002
  • Presented credentials: Jan 24, 2003
  • Terminated mission: Left post, Jul 18, 2005

• Emil A. Skodon
  Emil Skodon
  Emil Skodon, born November 25, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, is a former United States diplomat and a career foreign service officer. He was the U.S. ambassador to Brunei until August 1, 2008. He was sworn in as ambassador on September 7, 2005, and presented his credentials to the Sultan of Brunei on...
  
   – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: Jun 27, 2005
  • Presented credentials: Nov 1, 2005
  • Terminated mission: August 1, 2008

• William E. Todd – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: July 14, 2008
  • Presented credentials: Unknown
  • Terminated mission: June 6, 2010

• John W. McIntyre – Career FSO
  • Title: Chargé d'Affaires
  • Appointed: June 6, 2010
  • Presented credentials: Unknown
  • Terminated mission: March 28, 2011

• Daniel L. Shields – Career FSO
  • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  • Appointed: March 28, 2011
  • Presented credentials: April 5, 2011
  • Terminated mission: Incumbent

See also

• Brunei – United States relations
• Foreign relations of Brunei
  Foreign relations of Brunei
  Brunei joined ASEAN on January 7, 1984, one week after resuming full independence, and gives its ASEAN membership the highest priority in its foreign relations. Brunei joined the UN in September 1984. It also is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Asia-Pacific Economic...
  
  
• Ambassadors of the United States

External links

• United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Brunei
• United States Department of State: Brunei
• United States Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan