Israel expands ties with the breakaway territory as Somalia challenges its motives and war intensifies in Yemen.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIsrael’s ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, left, and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi at the ceremony in Hargeisa last month [File: Handout/Somaliland Presidency]By Faisal AliPublished On 1 Nov 20261 Nov 2026Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland has presented his credentials to the breakaway territory’s president, who formally accepted them at a ceremony in Hargeisa, where officials also laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy.
The move puts into practice an agreement reached on December 26, 2025, when Israel became the first United Nations member state to recognise Somaliland, It declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains claimed by Mogadishu.
Describing it as a “historical day,” President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, 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 Michael Lotem said Israel’s recognition acknowledged what Somaliland had built over 35 years, rather than serving as a mere diplomatic formality.
Somaliland has governed itself for more than three decades, but remains without recognition from any other UN member state.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a statement on Sunday that the exchange of ambassadors fulfilled commitments made when relations were established.
Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January and the territory opened an embassy in West Jerusalem during Cirro’s visit to Israel in June.
“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 lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the vital shipping passage between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
On October 9, United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen had returned to full-scale war, with battles involving the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and forces of the internationally recognised government.
During Cirro’s visit to Israel in June, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the two sides had cooperated on secret operations for years and wanted to expand their security ties.
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud challenged Israel’s motives in an interview with Sky News this week, saying it was seeking access to the Red Sea rather than supporting Somaliland’s independence.
Somaliland officials have signalled openness to hosting an Israeli military base, but the territory’s president recently said no talks had been held.
Israel’s move has also been condemned by the Arab League, African Union and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
