Somaliland’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday it has “taken note of the recent joint statement issued by a number of foreign ministers” regarding Israel’s decision to appoint a new ambassador to the country, as the African Union (AU) joined other countries in condemning the move.
Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Turkey, and Indonesia described the decision as “a flagrant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” in a joint statement issued on Saturday.
The Somaliland Foreign Ministry responded in a statement, “Somaliland’s engagement with international partners reflects evolving diplomatic practice and does not constitute a violation of any state’s sovereignty.”
Israel appointed Michael Lotem as a non-resident ambassador to Somaliland, according to a decision by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, in a move that further deepens engagement with the unrecognized territory and has prompted regional criticism and condemnation.
The AU Commission expressed “deep concern and strongly condemns reports of Israel’s decision to appoint a diplomatic envoy to the so-called ‘Somaliland,’” in a Sunday statement.
In late December Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The high-stakes alliance comes amid global security concerns regarding safe passage in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb—mainly threats posed by Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, which have targeted hundreds of commercial vessels in the region since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza in 2023.
Somalia is pushing for international support through diplomacy. “Israel must avoid creating a new conflict zone,” Minister of Information Daud Aweis told Al-Jazeera TV on Sunday.
The Somali official said the move “indicates Israeli violations of Somalia’s sovereignty rights and integrity of its territory,” adding that his country has received diplomatic endorsement from the United Nation and the African Union.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council at the time. US Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce used the session to go on the offensive for Israel, arguing that the council had never convened an emergency meeting when several countries unilaterally recognized Palestine.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi had previously signaled a willingness to deepen ties with Israel, signalling potential concessions for mineral exploitation and did not rule out the establishment of an Israeli military base on the republic’s territory.
Somaliland formalized ties with Israel in February by appointing Mohamed Omar Hagi as the republic’s first resident ambassador in Jerusalem.
Somaliland has made similar offers to Washington. Minister of Presidential Affairs, Khadar Hussein Abdi told AFP his country was ready to grant the US concessions for mineral exploitation and the establishment of military bases.
In November, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson visited Hargeisa and met with Somaliland’s president to discuss strengthening cooperation on security, regional stability, and shared interests in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
The US, which does not formally recognize Somaliland, has a naval base in neighboring Djibouti. Both countries sit at the entrance to the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest trade routes linking the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal.
In December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has plans to expand its relations with Somaliland through “extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy.”
While the relationship between Somaliland and Israel is framed as enabling cooperation on security and economic issues, it does not change Somaliland’s unresolved international status.
The Somaliland Foreign Ministry called on Sunday for a reassessment of the AU’s position on Somaliland’s status and said “continued denial” does not support regional stability.
