Israel appoints its first ambassador to Somaliland, prompting outrage in Somalia

Israel has appointed Michael Lotem as its first ambassador to Somaliland. He presented his credentials to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi at a ceremony in Hargeisa, where the cornerstone of a future Israeli embassy was also laid. The appointment follows Israel’s December recognition of Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, making Israel the first UN member state to recognize the territory. President Abdullahi called the relationship strategic because of Somaliland’s position near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Israel of seeking strategic access to the Red Sea and raised the prospect of an Israeli naval base.