Hargeisa — Israel has appointed its first ambassador to the Republic of Somaliland, marking a significant step in deepening diplomatic ties four months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said its Appointments Committee for Representatives Abroad, chaired by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, approved the appointment of Michael Lotem on Wednesday.
Lotem, a seasoned diplomat who previously served as Israel's ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, will initially serve as a non-resident ambassador to Somaliland. He currently holds the role of Israel's non-resident economic ambassador to Africa.
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The appointment reflects growing engagement between Israel and Somaliland following the landmark recognition announcement by Benjamin Netanyahu in December 2025, a move that signaled a shift in Israel's diplomatic outreach in the Horn of Africa.
In a reciprocal step, Somaliland moved earlier to formalize its diplomatic presence in Israel. On February 25, 2026, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro appointed Dr. Mohamed Omar Haji Mohamoud as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Israel.
Officials say the exchange of ambassadors lays the groundwork for expanding cooperation in areas including trade, technology, water management and regional security.
Somaliland, which reclaimed its statehood in 1991, has maintained relative stability and democratic governance for more than three decades and sits along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea, a key global shipping route.
Israel has not announced a timeline for establishing a resident embassy in Hargeisa, but the appointment is widely seen as a key step toward strengthening bilateral relations.
-- Reporting by Horndiplomat
