Israel’s first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, has presented his credentials to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa, where officials also laid the cornerstone for an Israeli embassy. The development follows a December 2025 agreement in which Israel became the first UN member state to recognize Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991. President Abdullahi described the ceremony as historic, while Israel’s ambassador said the recognition reflected Somaliland’s development over 35 years. The move has heightened regional sensitivities: Somalia, which still sees Somaliland as its territory, argues Israel is driven by a desire for access to the Red Sea as well as a naval base. Somaliland is situated near the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandeb shipping route.