List of ambassadors of Sweden to Gabon

In May 1960, a Swedish delegation undertook a trip to West Africa in which nine countries were visited, including Gabon. The purpose of the journey was, among other things, to provide Swedish authorities with the supplementary information that was needed in order to comprehensively assess the appropriate extent of Swedish representation in this part of Africa.^[1]

On the occasion of the Gabonese Republic's declaration of independence on 17 August 1960, Foreign Minister Östen Undén sent a congratulatory telegram to its president and head of government, Léon M'ba. In the telegram, it was stated that the Swedish government recognized Gabon as a sovereign and independent state and expressed hopes for friendly and cordial relations between the two countries. At the same time, King Gustaf VI Adolf also sent a telegram of congratulations.^[2] At the celebration of Gabon's first anniversary as an independent state on 17 August 1961, Sweden was represented at the festivities in Libreville by Consul Bengt Rösiö in Léopoldville in the capacity of ambassadeur en mission spéciale.^[3]

In January 1961, it was proposed in the government budget bill that the Swedish consulate in Léopoldville, Republic of the Congo be replaced by an embassy.^[4] The embassy opened in 1962, and in 1965 the Swedish ambassador in Léopoldville was also accredited to Libreville, with residence in Léopoldville (later renamed Kinshasa).