"Violation of Sovereignty": Somalia Attacks the Appointment of Israel's Ambassador to Somaliland

Somalia strongly condemned the appointment of an Israeli ambassador to Somaliland and the laying of the cornerstone for an embassy in Hargeisa, claiming it violates its sovereignty. The Somali Foreign Ministry stated that the steps are unilateral and lack legal validity, and demanded that Israel reverse them.

Somalia strongly condemned Israel following the appointment of an Israeli ambassador to Somaliland and the cornerstone-laying ceremony for an Israeli embassy in Hargeisa. A spokesperson for the Somali Foreign Ministry stated that these are unilateral steps constituting a violation of Somalia's sovereignty and that they lack legal validity. Somalia demanded that Israel reverse its decision. In the background, Ambassador Michael Lotem presented his credentials to the President of Somaliland. The mutual recognition between Israel and Somaliland was signed in December 2024, and Somaliland opened an embassy in Jerusalem in June 2025. The Secretary-General of the Arab League accused Israel of exploiting the internal division in Somalia.