Israel's first Somaliland envoy takes office as Hargeisa lays embassy stone

Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland formally took up his post in Hargeisa, handing his credentials to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and breaking ground on an Israeli embassy in the breakaway territory. Israel's Foreign Ministry announced the ceremonies on Sunday, saying they had actually happened the previous week. The territory has run its own affairs since 1991 but is still claimed by Mogadishu and recognised by no other UN member state.

Ambassador Michael Lotem said the recognition reflected what Somaliland had built over 35 years, not a diplomatic box-tick. President Abdullahi, widely known as Cirro, called it a historic day and noted it was the first time a Somaliland leader had accepted credentials from an envoy of a UN member state that recognises its independence. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the ambassador swap delivered on promises made when the two sides established relations.

The groundwork was laid fast. Israel recognised Somaliland on December 26, 2025, becoming the first UN member state to do so. Sa'ar travelled to Somaliland in January, and the territory opened an embassy in West Jerusalem during Cirro's visit to Israel in June.

Cirro leaned hard on geography at the ceremony, pointing to Somaliland's perch near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. He said cooperation carries regional and international weight and that Somaliland approaches the relationship with a long-term strategic commitment. Across the Gulf of Aden, fighting in Yemen has flared again, with UN envoy Hans Grundberg warning on October 9 that the country had slid back into full-scale war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and forces of the internationally recognised government.

Not everyone is cheering. Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Sky News this week that Israel is chasing Red Sea access rather than backing Somaliland's statehood, saying plainly that Israel wants the Red Sea and that is the only reason. He also alleged Israel is after a naval base in the territory. Somaliland officials have sounded open to hosting an Israeli military base, though Cirro recently said no such talks have taken place.

The security ties run deeper than the diplomacy. Defence Minister Israel Katz said during Cirro's June visit that the two sides had cooperated on secret operations for years and wanted to broaden that relationship. Somalia blasted the December recognition as a violation of its sovereignty, and the Arab League, African Union and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have all condemned the move.