Israeli envoy becomes world’s first ambassador to Somaliland

Israel’s ambassador to Somaliland Michael Lotem presented his credentials last week at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The historic ceremony marks not only the Jewish state’s first diplomat to the Horn of Africa nation, but the first official ambassador accredited to Somaliland by any sovereign nation in the world.

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.”

Since the countries’ mutual recognition on Dec. 26, 2025, Sa’ar made a historic visit to Somaliland in January 2026, while Somaliland opened its embassy in Jerusalem during President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi’s visit to Israel in June 2026.

An X account run by the Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Somaliland posted footage from the ceremony, which took place last week.

In a joint press conference, Abdullahi greeted Lotem, saying that “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.”

He said that every Somalilander will keep this day in their minds and memories.

Abdullahi described the appointment of the Israeli diplomat 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.”

The leader further stated that the Israeli-Somaliland cooperation carries “important regional and international significance.”

Somaliland is situated in east Africa off the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, from where the Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out attacks against the Jewish state.

In September, Abdullahi said he expects security cooperation with Israel to begin by the end of the year.

Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of a two-week visit to Washington, the Somaliland president left open the possibility of an Israeli military presence in the country that most of the world, including the United States, still recognizes as part of Somalia.

“My priority is water,” Abdullahi said at the time. Israel “gave training for 50 Somaliland water engineers, and they will start some water projects, including desalination of Berbera seawater.”

“Hopefully, before the end of the year, they will start to cooperate in the security sector,” he told reporters, including JNS.

Berbera is the main port of Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.