Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland has credentials accepted

Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland presented his credentials to the breakaway territory’s president last week, according to a statement issued by the Israeli foreign ministry on Sunday.

Israel is the only state in the world to have recognised Somaliland, which also enjoys substantial economic ties to the United Arab Emirates.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi formally accepted Michael Lotem’s credentials at a ceremony in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, while officials also laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy.

Israel’s foreign ministry said the ceremony marked “another important step in strengthening relations between Israel and Somaliland, following their mutual recognition on 26 December 2025”.

Since Israel recognised Somaliland, an autonomous region in northern Somalia that declared independence in 1991, ties between the countries have continued to develop.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has visited Somaliland, while Somaliland opened an embassy in west Jerusalem during a visit made by Abdullahi in June.

“Israel is determined to develop and strengthen its relations with Somaliland,” Saar said after the presentation of credentials.

Abdullahi said during the ceremony that it was the first time a Somaliland president had received the credentials of an ambassador from a UN member state recognising its independence.

Ambassador Lotem said Israel’s recognition acknowledged what Somaliland had built over 35 years, rather than serving as a mere diplomatic formality.

Strategic Somaliland

Somaliland and Israel are in talks about the possibility of Israel building a naval base on Somaliland’s Red Sea coast, which sits close to the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab strait.

At the ceremony in Hargeisa, Abdullahi emphasised the relevance of Somaliland’s geography.

“Given our strategic position around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, our cooperation also carries important regional and international significance,” he said.

“Let me reaffirm that Somaliland approaches this relationship with genuine strategic commitment and a long-term perspective.”

Berbera, the commercial capital of Somaliland, is at the heart of this strategic importance.

DP World, the Emirati logistics company, runs the main port there, as part of a partnership with the British government’s foreign investment arm.

The UAE also has a military base at Berbera.