Key facts
- Michael Lotem presented his credentials as Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland in Hargeisa.
- Officials laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy at the ceremony announced by Israel's foreign ministry.
- Somalia, the African Union, Arab states and China oppose the move, the report said.
- Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, presented his credentials in Hargeisa, and officials laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy, Israel's foreign ministry announced on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The ceremony formalized a relationship that began with mutual recognition in December.