Israeli envoy becomes first ambassador accredited to Somaliland, Hargeisa, Somaliland, credentials presented

Israel’s ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, presented his credentials to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi last week at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. The ceremony made Lotem Israel’s first diplomat to the Horn of Africa nation. It was also the first time any sovereign nation has accredited an official ambassador to Somaliland.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was quoted by his office as saying, “Israel is determined to develop and strengthen its relations with Somaliland. The appointment of ambassadors, in accordance with the agreement reached when our countries established mutual recognition, is another important step in deepening the ties between us.”

The two sides recognized each other on Dec. 26, 2025. In January 2026, Sa’ar made a visit to Somaliland. In June 2026, during Abdullahi’s visit to Israel, Somaliland opened its embassy in Jerusalem.

An X account run by the Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Somaliland posted footage of the credentials ceremony. At a joint press conference, Abdullahi welcomed Lotem and said, “This is a historical day. Today it is the first day that any Somaliland president has received the letters of credentials from an ambassador… from a member of the United Nations [that has] recognized Somaliland.”

Abdullahi described the appointment as a “clear demonstration of how closely our countries are growing together and of our mutual determination to build enduring and mutually beneficial partnership founded on the shared interests, mutual respect and common vision for the future.” He also said the Israeli-Somaliland cooperation carries “important regional and international significance.”

Somaliland lies on the coast of east Africa off the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, an area from which the Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out attacks against Israel. In September, Abdullahi said he expected security cooperation with Israel to begin by the end of the year. Speaking to reporters, including JNS, at the close of a two-week visit to Washington, he left open the possibility of an Israeli military presence in the country. Most of the world, including the United States, still recognizes Somaliland as part of Somalia.

Abdullahi said his priority was water. He stated that Israel had trained 50 Somaliland water engineers, who would start water projects, including desalination of Berbera seawater. “Hopefully, before the end of the year, they will start to cooperate in the security sector,” he said. Berbera is Somaliland’s main port, and the territory declared independence from Somalia in 1991.

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