Somalia: Somaliland Ambassador to Israel Announces Embassy in Jerusalem

19 May 2026
Horn Diplomat (Hargeisa)
By Mohamed Duale

Hargeisa — Somaliland will open an embassy in Jerusalem in the near future, its ambassador to Israel said on tuesday, as diplomatic ties between the two sides continue to deepen following Israel's recognition of Somaliland last year.

"I am pleased to announce that the Republic of Somaliland's Embassy will be located in Jerusalem," Somaliland's ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, said in a statement posted on X.

"The Embassy will be opened soon, while Israel will also establish its Embassy in Hargeisa, reflecting growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoples," he added.

The announcement marks the latest development in relations between Somaliland and Israel after Israel formally recognized Somaliland on Dec. 26, 2025, becoming the first United Nations member state to establish official diplomatic relations with Somaliland since it restored its statehood in 1991.

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On Monday, coinciding with Somaliland's May 18 National Day celebrations, Ambassador Hagi formally presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, becoming Somaliland's first ambassador accredited to a foreign country.

The two sides have since expanded diplomatic engagement through high-level contacts and official appointments, including the appointment of Dr. Mohamed Hagi as Somaliland's first ambassador to Israel and Michael Lotem as Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland.

Somaliland President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro also held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18, during which Netanyahu congratulated Somaliland on the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its sovereignty, according to Somaliland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Somaliland restored its statehood in 1991 and has since maintained its own government, security institutions and democratic system while seeking broader international recognition.

(Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horn Diplomat Desk)

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