The Democratic Republic of Congo announced Thursday that it will relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, making it the 11th nation to maintain diplomatic representation in Israel's capital.
The decision follows a September 1 meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. This week, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Congolese counterpart, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, held working sessions to finalize arrangements for moving the DRC embassy to Jerusalem and opening an Israeli embassy in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital.
The DRC joins a growing list of countries establishing embassies in Jerusalem. Nauru is scheduled to open its embassy in the city next week, while Colombia is expected to follow in October.
The DRC, sub-Saharan Africa's largest country and the continent's second-largest overall, currently serves on both the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council. The nation possesses significant reserves of minerals critical to the semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicle industries, presenting substantial opportunities for expanded economic and security cooperation with Israel.
Israel and the DRC have maintained close, long-standing relations, reflected in Congolese support for Israel in international forums. The DRC has also stood alongside Israel in proceedings at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
