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Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland presented his credentials to the territory’s president at a ceremony in Hargeisa last week, with officials simultaneously laying the cornerstone for a permanent Israeli embassy — the most concrete step yet in a relationship that began when Israel became the first United Nations member state to recognise Somaliland’s independence on 26 December 2025.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced the ceremonies on Sunday. President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, formally accepted the credentials and described the occasion as a “historical day,” saying it was the first time a Somaliland president had received an ambassador from a UN member state recognising the territory’s independence. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has gone unrecognised by every other government in the world for more than three decades.
Ambassador Michael Lotem said Israel’s recognition acknowledged what Somaliland had built over 35 years, rather than constituting a mere diplomatic formality. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a statement that the exchange of ambassadors fulfilled commitments made when the two sides established relations. Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January; Cirro travelled to Israel in June, during which trip Somaliland opened an embassy in West Jerusalem.
Strategic geography at the centre of the relationship
At the Hargeisa ceremony, Cirro emphasised the geographic dimension of the partnership. “Given our strategic position around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, our cooperation 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.”
Somaliland sits directly across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, close to the Bab al-Mandeb strait — the narrow passage connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean through which a significant share of global shipping passes. The strait has taken on heightened importance as fighting in Yemen has intensified. On 9 October, UN 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.
Israel has also acknowledged a security dimension that predates formal diplomacy. During Cirro’s June visit, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the two sides had cooperated on secret operations for years and wanted to expand their security ties. Somaliland officials have signalled openness to hosting an Israeli military base, though Cirro recently said no formal talks on the matter had taken place.
Somalia and regional bodies push back
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud challenged Israel’s stated motives in an interview with Sky News this week, saying Israel was seeking Red Sea access rather than acting out of genuine support for Somaliland’s self-determination. “Israel wants the Red Sea, that is the only reason,” he said, also alleging that Israel wants a naval base in the territory. Somalia condemned Israel’s December recognition as a violation of its sovereignty.
The Arab League, African Union and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have all condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. Despite that opposition, the territory now has a resident ambassador from a UN member state for the first time in its more than three decades of self-governance — a development Hargeisa is treating as a landmark regardless of how isolated the bilateral relationship remains on the broader international stage.