Israel Names First Ambassador to Somaliland After Recognition Move
Jerusalem — Israel appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland on Sunday, deepening ties with the breakaway Horn of Africa region months after becoming the first country to formally recognize its independence.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, would become the country’s first official envoy to Somaliland.
The move follows Israel’s December 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland’s independence, making it the first nation to do so since the territory declared autonomy from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali state during civil war.
Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.The diplomatic expansion comes after formal relations were established between the two sides in December and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January, a trip that drew sharp criticism from Somalia.
In February, Somaliland appointed Mohamed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel, signaling reciprocal diplomatic recognition.Somaliland, which has its own government, currency, passport and military, occupies a strategic location along the Gulf of Aden near one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
Despite operating with de facto independence for more than three decades, it has struggled to gain broad international recognition, largely due to concerns that formal recognition could destabilize Somalia and encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Africa.
Somalia has consistently rejected Somaliland’s sovereignty claims and condemned Israeli engagement with the territory.Following Sa’ar’s January visit, Mogadishu described the trip as an “unauthorized incursion” and reaffirmed its position that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.
The diplomatic breakthrough with Israel marks one of Somaliland’s most significant international gains since its self-declared independence, potentially reshaping regional alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor.
The development also carries wider geopolitical significance as global powers compete for influence across strategic shipping routes linking the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Israel has not detailed whether it plans to open a full embassy in Hargeisa, but the ambassadorial appointment signals a formal institutional expansion of relations between the two sides.
