DST News: Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland has formally presented his credentials to the territory’s president at a ceremony in Hargeisa, where officials also laid the foundation stone for an Israeli embassy.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced the developments on Sunday, saying the ceremonies had taken place the previous week.
The move implements an agreement reached on December 26, 2025, when Israel became the first United Nations member state to recognise Somaliland. The territory declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but continues to be claimed by Mogadishu.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, widely known as Cirro, described the occasion as a “historical day”. He said it was the first time a Somaliland president had received the credentials of an ambassador representing a UN member state that recognised its independence.
Israel’s ambassador, Michael Lotem, said the recognition reflected what Somaliland had achieved over the past 35 years and was more than a diplomatic formality.
Somaliland has governed itself for more than three decades but has not received recognition from any other UN member state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Sunday that the exchange of ambassadors fulfilled commitments made when the two sides established diplomatic relations.
Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January, while the territory opened an embassy in West Jerusalem during Cirro’s visit to Israel in June.
Speaking at the Hargeisa ceremony, Cirro highlighted the strategic importance of the relationship.
“Given our strategic position around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, our cooperation carries important regional and international significance. Let me reaffirm that Somaliland approaches this relationship with genuine strategic commitment and a long-term perspective,” he said.
Somaliland is located across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, close to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Fighting has intensified on the Yemeni side of the strait in recent weeks. On October 9, United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen had returned to full-scale war, with clashes involving the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and forces loyal to the internationally recognised government.
Israel has also acknowledged that its security cooperation with Somaliland began before formal diplomatic recognition.
During Cirro’s visit to Israel in June, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the two sides had cooperated in secret operations for years and expressed interest in expanding their security ties.
However, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has questioned Israel’s intentions. In an interview with Sky News this week, he accused Israel of seeking access to the Red Sea rather than supporting Somaliland’s independence.
“Israel wants the Red Sea, that is the only reason,” he said.
Mohamud also alleged that Israel was seeking to establish a naval base in Somaliland.
Somaliland officials have indicated that they are open to hosting an Israeli military base, although the territory’s president recently said no discussions had taken place on the matter.
Somalia condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December, describing it as a violation of its sovereignty. The decision has also drawn criticism from the Arab League, the African Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Source: ALJAZEERA
