DR Congo joins countries pledging embassy move to Jerusalem

Notably, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reiterated its decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the latest country to announce such intends.

Key points

• When Tshisekedi met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the plan dates back to September 2023.
• The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term.
• Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the DRC capital, Kinshasa, in November.
• The UN Security Council has rejected measures seeking to alter the status of Jerusalem and has called on countries not to establish diplomatic missions there.
• Kosovo and Somaliland, which are not UN member states, additionally maintain missions they consider embassies in the city.

After a visit to Israel by President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi, both countries stated in an official note on Thursday that they would take steps towards "the relocation of the embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem", AFP news agency documented.

In 2020, the DRC president confirmed aims to appoint an ambassador to Israel after two decades and establish an economic section of the embassy in Jerusalem while the embassy remained in Tel Aviv.

Notably, the relationship has since expanded. Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the DRC capital, Kinshasa, in November. Tshisekedi has spoken warmly regarding Israel for years, saying his backing is driven by his Christian faith. He has additionally been eager for backing from the United States. It has increasingly pressured Rwanda over armed rebel advances in the DRC. Why does the embassy move matter?

Meanwhile, the announcement comes weeks after Colombia's new hard-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, additionally unveiled that he would move his country's embassy to Jerusalem, a sharp shift from his leftist predecessor who criticised Israel over its genocidal war on Gaza.

Notably, the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term. Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay have followed.

Most countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in the Tel Aviv area, maintaining that Jerusalem's final status should be determined through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel considers the entire city its capital and has encouraged foreign governments to establish embassies there. Palestinians want occupied East Jerusalem to serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

For context, the UN Security Council has rejected measures seeking to alter the status of Jerusalem and has called on countries not to establish diplomatic missions there.

In short, DR Congo joins countries pledging embassy move to Jerusalem is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.