Israel appoints 1st ambassador to Somaliland

By AFP 26 April 2026, 2:11 pm

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People walk by the flags of Israel and Somaliland flying alongside each other at the entrance to a fruit farm between the Somaliland capital city of Hargeisa and port city of Berbera along the highway connecting the two as Muslims commemorate the holy month of Ramadan on February 19, 2026. (Tony KARUMBA / AFP)

Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, months after formally recognizing the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa, the foreign ministry says.

In December, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland since it declared its autonomy from Somalia in 1991 following a civil war.

Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, will be Israel’s envoy to Somaliland, the ministry says.

Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

His appointment follows the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides in December 2025, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Somaliland in January.

In February, Somaliland announced the appointment of Mohamed Hagi as its ambassador to Israel.

Somaliland enjoys a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden and has its own currency, passport and army, but has struggled to win international recognition, amid concerns in many capitals that this would provoke Somalia and encourage other separatist movements in Africa.

Saar’s visit to Somaliland drew condemnation from Somalia, which described it as an “unauthorized incursion.”