DR Congo Confirms Intent to Relocate Embassy to Jerusalem

The announcement renews a 2023 pledge by President Tshisekedi and follows a trend of several governments seeking stronger ties with Israel.

Published On 3 Sep 20263 Sep 2026

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reaffirmed its decision to shift its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, joining a growing list of nations making similar announcements.

After President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s visit to Israel, the two nations issued a joint statement on Thursday outlining steps toward “relocating the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” according to AFP.

The idea originated in September 2023, when Tshisekedi met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In 2020, the Congolese leader said he would appoint an ambassador to Israel after a twenty‑year hiatus and create an economic office within the embassy in Jerusalem, while keeping the main mission in Tel Aviv.

Since then, bilateral relations have deepened. Israeli President Isaac Herzog traveled to Kinshasa in November, and Tshisekedi has frequently cited his Christian faith as the basis for his pro‑Israel stance. He has also sought greater U.S. backing, which has intensified pressure on Rwanda amid rebel activity in the eastern DRC.

Why does the embassy move matter?

The announcement follows a similar move by Colombia’s newly elected hard‑right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who said he would relocate his country’s embassy to Jerusalem—a stark reversal from his left‑leaning predecessor, who had criticized Israel over its conduct in Gaza.

The United States transferred its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during Donald Trump’s first term. Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay have since taken similar steps.

Kosovo and Somaliland, although not UN members, also maintain missions they regard as embassies in the city.

The majority of states that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel locate their embassies in the Tel Aviv area, arguing that Jerusalem’s final status should be settled through Israeli‑Palestinian negotiations.

Israel regards the whole city as its capital and invites foreign governments to open embassies there. Palestinians, meanwhile, seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The UN Security Council has repeatedly rejected attempts to change Jerusalem’s status and has urged countries not to establish diplomatic missions there.

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