Diplomacy & Geopolitics
DR Congo to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem
The Democratic Republic of Congo said it would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi visited Israel, joining a small group of countries that have made the same move in the contested city.
A joint statement from the two countries said they would take steps to relocate the embassy but gave no timeline. The statement said Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a shared commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations.
Most countries that recognise Israel keep embassies in Tel Aviv, arguing that Jerusalem's status should be settled through a final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during his first term, breaking with that consensus.
Since then, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay have followed the United States, while Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not UN member-states, have opened what they consider embassies in Jerusalem. Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella announced weeks earlier that he would move Colombia's embassy to Jerusalem, and Argentine President Javier Milei has promised a move that has not yet taken place.
Israel captured eastern Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it, declaring Jerusalem its eternal, undivided capital.
Update
A joint statement said DR Congo and Israel would take steps to relocate the embassy but gave no timeline.
President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed strengthening diplomatic relations, according to the statement.
Most countries that recognise Israel keep embassies in Tel Aviv pending a final resolution of Jerusalem's status.
The item added context on countries that have moved or promised to move embassies to Jerusalem.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 17:20:45 UTC.
Update
The announcement followed a visit by President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi.
The joint statement said the two sides would take steps toward relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The move would place DR Congo among a small group of countries, including the United States, that have taken the symbolic step of backing Israeli sovereignty in the contested city.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 16:48:03 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The timeline for DR Congo's embassy relocation was not given.
Argentina's promised embassy move has not yet taken place.
Source
AFP news report published on .