Somalia has rejected Israel’s appointment of an ambassador to Somaliland and plans to establish an embassy in Hargeisa, describing the moves as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said the actions were taken without the consent of the Federal Government and were “null and void and without legal effect.”
Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, presented his credentials to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro in Hargeisa last week. The two sides also held a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for a planned Israeli embassy.
Somalia maintains that Somaliland remains part of its territory and has no authority to establish independent diplomatic relations with foreign governments.
Israel formally recognised Somaliland on December 26, 2025, becoming the first UN member state to do so since the region declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
Somalia has called on Israel to reverse the decisions and urged the international community not to recognise steps that could undermine its territorial integrity. It also warned that the developments could heighten tensions in the strategically important Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region.
