Israel's First Envoy Presents Credentials in Somaliland

Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, has presented his credentials to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, at a ceremony in Hargeisa. Credentials are the formal documents that confirm a diplomat's appointment to a host government. The president formally accepted them.

Israel's Foreign Ministry announced the ceremonies on November 1, 2026, saying they had been held the previous week. According to the Al Jazeera report, officials also laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy in Hargeisa in connection with the ceremony.

The ceremony follows a diplomatic step taken late last year. Israel and Somaliland established mutual recognition in December 2025, which means each formally acknowledges the other. Under an agreement reached on December 26, 2025, Israel became the first UN member state to recognise Somaliland. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the exchange of ambassadors fulfilled commitments made when relations between the two were established. Lotem said Israel's recognition acknowledged what Somaliland had built over 35 years.