Published On 4/26/2026
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Last update: 16:52 (Mecca time)
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday the appointment of Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland, months after it officially recognized the breakaway region located in the Horn of Africa.
The ministry said that Michael Lotem, who currently serves as economic ambassador-at-large to Africa, will be Israel’s envoy to Somaliland.
Lotem previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, and his appointment comes after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides in December 2025, and the visit of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to Somaliland last January.
Sa’ar’s visit to Somaliland sparked condemnation from Somalia, which described it as an “unauthorized incursion.”
Strong condemnation
Mogadishu had previously expressed its “strong condemnation” of Tel Aviv’s announcement of its intention to appoint an ambassador to Somaliland, and said that the appointment of a diplomatic representative in the northwestern region of Somalia “constitutes a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
She stressed in a statement that this measure contradicts the rules of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the founding principles of the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and stressed that Somalia is “one sovereign and indivisible state.”
In late December, Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland since the region’s unilateral declaration of independence from Somalia in 1991 following the civil war. Last February, Somaliland announced the appointment of Mohamed Haji as its ambassador to Israel.
Somaliland has a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, and has its own currency, passport, and army, but it faces difficulty in obtaining international recognition, amid fears of provoking Somalia and encouraging other separatist movements in Africa.
