Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, has introduced his credentials to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa, the place officers additionally laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy. The event follows a December 2025 settlement by which Israel grew to become the primary UN member state to acknowledge Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991. President Abdullahi described the ceremony as historic, whereas Israel’s ambassador mentioned the popularity mirrored Somaliland’s growth over 35 years. The transfer has heightened regional sensitivities: Somalia, which nonetheless sees Somaliland as its territory, argues Israel is pushed by a want for entry to the Pink Sea in addition to a naval base. Somaliland is located close to the Pink Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandeb transport route.
