The Democratic Republic of Congo announced plans to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, joining a small group of nations that back Israeli sovereignty in the disputed city, according to a joint statement reported by Agence France-Presse on March 9, 2026. The announcement followed a meeting in Jerusalem between DR Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the leaders provided no timeline for the relocation.
Diplomatic Shift and Bilateral Ties in Jerusalem
During their talks, President Tshisekedi and Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized a shared commitment to strengthening diplomatic, security, and economic ties between the two countries, according to regional reporting by The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel. Tshisekedi has expressed warm support for Israel for years, citing his Christian faith as a primary driver of his diplomatic stance. The move makes the Democratic Republic of Congo the latest nation to pledge an embassy relocation to Jerusalem, following similar announcements from other international leaders.
International Precedent and Global Division
The vast majority of countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, operating on the position that the final status of Jerusalem must be settled through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. That diplomatic consensus shifted significantly in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, which hosts Israel’s parliament, prime minister’s office, and major governmental institutions. Since that decision, only a handful of U.S.-aligned nations—including Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay—have relocated their embassies. Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not United Nations member states, have also opened diplomatic missions in the city.
Recent Regional Alignments and Latin American Shifts
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s pledge arrives weeks after Colombia’s newly elected hard-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced plans to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem, marking a sharp pivot from his leftist predecessor’s criticisms of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Argentine President Javier Milei has also promised a relocation for his country’s embassy, though that move has faced delays due to reported disagreements over an Israeli company’s plans to drill in the Falkland Islands, a British-ruled territory claimed by Argentina as the Malvinas, according to Agence France-Presse.
Historical Context of Jerusalem’s Status
Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently annexed the territory. The Israeli government considers the entire city its eternal and undivided capital, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The status of the holy city remains one of the core disputes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making any international embassy move a highly symbolic endorsement of Israeli claims.
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