Africa’s mineral powerhouse revives Jerusalem embassy plan 53 years after cutting ties with Israel

The move is the latest sign of a deepening relationship between Kinshasa and Jerusalem, with the two countries also working towards opening a permanent Israeli embassy in the Congolese capital.

The announcement followed a September 1 meeting in Jerusalem between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a joint declaration issued on September 3, the two governments said they would continue consultations on the relocation of the DRC embassy to Jerusalem and the opening of an Israeli resident embassy in Kinshasa.

No timetable was announced, with both sides saying further discussions would determine how the decisions would be implemented.

However, the statement issued by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “The State of Israel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will continue their exchanges through the appropriate diplomatic channels in order to agree on the modalities for the implementation of these decisions.“

Back in 2023, Tshisekedi and Netanyahu first announced plans for the DRC to move its embassy to Jerusalem, meaning the latest declaration represents a revival of an initiative that has taken three years to progress beyond the announcement stage.

The diplomatic history between the two countries stretches back decades.

DRC, then known as Zaire, was one of the African countries that broke relations with Israel in 1973 amid pressure linked to the Yom Kippur War and the wider Arab-Israeli conflict.

Historical records show that Zaire had an ambassador based in Jerusalem in 1973, reflecting how different Africa-Israel diplomacy looked before the rupture.

In 1982, when Zaire restored relations with Israel, the government again indicated that it could establish an embassy in Jerusalem, although the issue remained unsettled.

The proposed relocation is therefore more than a symbolic change of address. If completed, it would return the Congolese diplomatic mission to Jerusalem after more than five decades and place the DRC among a small group of countries prepared to locate their embassies in the disputed city.

Most countries continue to maintain their embassies in the Tel Aviv area because the international status of Jerusalem remains contested.

For Kinshasa, the embassy issue is unfolding alongside a broader effort to strengthen ties with Israel. Tshisekedi’s latest discussions covered diplomatic, security and economic cooperation, with both governments seeking deeper collaboration in areas including technology, agriculture, training and investment.

The relationship also comes as the DRC seeks stronger international partnerships amid its security challenges in the east, while Israel is seeking to expand its economic and diplomatic engagement across Africa.