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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 1 Nov 20261 Nov 2026<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s first ambassador to Somaliland has presented his credentials to the breakaway territory\u2019s president, who formally accepted them at a ceremony in Hargeisa, where officials also laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry announced the ceremonies on Sunday, saying they were held last week.<\/p>\n
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The move puts into practice an agreement reached<\/a> on December 26, 2025, when Israel<\/a> became the first United Nations member state to recognise Somaliland, It declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains claimed by Mogadishu.<\/p>\n Describing it as a \u201chistorical day,\u201d President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, said during the ceremony that it was the first time<\/a> a Somaliland president had received the credentials of an ambassador from a UN member state recognising its independence.<\/p>\n Ambassador Michael Lotem said Israel\u2019s recognition acknowledged what Somaliland had built over 35 years, rather than serving as a mere diplomatic formality.<\/p>\n Somaliland has governed itself for more than three decades, but remains without recognition from any other UN member state.<\/p>\n Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar said in a statement on Sunday that the exchange of ambassadors fulfilled commitments made when relations were established.<\/p>\n Sa\u2019ar visited Somaliland in January and the territory opened an embassy in West Jerusalem during Cirro\u2019s visit to Israel in June.<\/p>\n At the ceremony in Hargeisa, Cirro stressed the broader importance of the relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen<\/a>, near the Bab al-Mandeb<\/a> strait, the vital shipping passage between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n Fighting has intensified on the Yemeni side of the strait in recent weeks.<\/p>\n On October 9, United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen had returned to full-scale war<\/a>, with battles involving the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and forces of the internationally recognised government.<\/p>\n Israel has also acknowledged a security relationship that predates its diplomatic recognition.<\/p>\n During Cirro\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Somalia\u2019s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud challenged Israel\u2019s motives in an interview with Sky News this week, saying it was seeking access to the Red Sea rather than supporting Somaliland\u2019s independence.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael wants the Red Sea, that is the only reason,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mohamud<\/a> also alleged that Israel wants a naval base in the territory.<\/p>\n