The United States has nominated its new ambassador to Rwanda.

The nomination has been sent to the Senate for confirmation. If confirmed, he would replace Eric Kneedler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in August 2022 but confirmed by the Senate in July 2023, and took over that responsibility in October of that year.

Eric Kneedler was removed from his post in January this year after United States President Donald Trump made changes to his country's foreign policy, requesting that US ambassadors to various countries, especially those on the African continentincluding Rwanda, who were appointed by his predecessor Joe Biden to return to Washington DC immediately.

Before an Ambassador is appointed, the President of the United States of America first submits his nomination to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for confirmation. Once confirmed, the nomination is sent to the full Senate. If the Ambassador is confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate, he is permanently assigned the responsibility of representing the United States of America in a particular country or international organization.

Before joining the United States Department of State, Nicholas Checker was an officer with the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2014 to 2025.

During that time, Checker was briefed by the agency on a variety of issues, including the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and even worked in the agency's office responsible for congressional affairs. 

He also served as Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council during President Donald Trump's first term in office. 

Nicholas Checker currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern Africa and Regional Assistance at the U.S. Department of State. Prior to that position, he headed the Bureau of Africa at the U.S. Department of State.

Nicholas Checker holds a Bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin, and a master's degree in security studies from Georgetown University.

His predecessor, Eric Kneedler, before becoming the United States Ambassador to Rwanda, was first the Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where he also served as Chargé d'Affaires.

Kneedler also served as Deputy Chief of Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. He also worked in the Political bureau at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and held various other diplomatic positions.