Israel’s First Ambassador to Somaliland Presents Credentials in Hargeisa

Israel has become the first United Nations member state to accredit an ambassador to Somaliland, the breakaway territory that Mogadishu continues to claim as part of Somalia.

Michael Lotem handed his letters of credence to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry. A ceremony to lay the cornerstone of an Israeli embassy in the city followed.

The ministry announced the accreditation on Sunday, Nov. 1. It said the ceremony had taken place the previous week. Clash Report could not confirm the exact date.

A Diplomatic First for Hargeisa

Abdullahi said it was the first time a Somaliland president had received the credentials of an ambassador from a UN member state recognizing its independence, Al Jazeera reported.

On X, he wrote: “I am honoured to receive the Letters of Credence of H.E. Mr. Michael Lotem, the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Somaliland, marking a historic milestone in our diplomatic relations.”

Lotem’s appointment was announced in April. In the initial phase, he is expected to serve as a non-resident ambassador, according to the Jerusalem Post. Somalia Today says he previously held ambassadorial posts in Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Somaliland’s foreign ministry said Lotem pledged to pursue cooperation in security and defense, trade, investment, technology, health and education. Al Jazeera quoted him as saying the recognition reflected what Somaliland had built over 35 years, rather than a diplomatic formality.

From Recognition to Embassies

Israel recognized Somaliland on Dec. 26, 2025, through a joint declaration signed by Benjamin Netanyahu, Gideon Sa’ar and Abdullahi during a video call. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. No other UN member state has followed Israel’s lead.

Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, said the exchange of ambassadors was carried out under the agreement reached at the time of mutual recognition. He described it as a further step in deepening bilateral ties.

Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January. Hargeisa named Dr. Mohamed Haji as its first ambassador to Israel in February, then opened an embassy in West Jerusalem in June during Abdullahi’s visit.

At the time, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the two sides had cooperated on secret operations for years and sought to widen security ties, according to Al Jazeera.

In an Oct. 26 clip posted by Clash Report, Netanyahu said: “We have very close relations with Ethiopia, of course with the United Arab Emirates, and also with Somaliland, since we were the first to recognize them.”

The Red Sea Dimension

Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, near the Bab al-Mandeb strait linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Its main port, Berbera, is run by the UAE’s DP World, according to Middle East Eye.

At the ceremony, Abdullahi said Somaliland’s position around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden gave the partnership regional and international significance.

Fighting has escalated on the Yemeni side of the strait. Hans Grundberg, the UN envoy, warned on Oct. 9 that Yemen had returned to full-scale war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and government forces.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a recent Sky News interview, said: “Israel wants the Red Sea, that is the only reason.” He alleged that Israel is seeking a naval base in the territory.

Al Jazeera and Goobjoog noted that the interview did not establish the existence of any base agreement. Somaliland officials have signaled openness to hosting an Israeli military base, but Abdullahi recently said no talks had been held, according to Al Jazeera.

Regional Condemnation

The Arab League condemned the credentials presentation and the embassy foundation stone as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia.” In its Nov. 2 statement, it also warned against efforts to expand Israel’s military and political influence off the Gulf of Aden.

An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman told Asharq Al-Awsat that attempts to impose a de facto situation would affect security in the Horn of Africa.

Somalia’s government called the April appointment a breach of its sovereignty and urged Israel to reverse it. Clash Report found no Somali government response to the ceremony itself at the time of writing.

The African Union Commission also condemned the appointment, Somalia Today reported. The AU’s Peace and Security Council had earlier rejected the recognition itself. Türkiye joined Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Somalia and others in an April 18 joint statement denouncing the appointment. China has publicly backed Somalia’s position, according to the South China Morning Post.

In an Oct. 5 clip posted by Clash Report, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said: “Somalis, whether in Somaliland or any other part of Somalia, will never accept Israel.”