Israel appoints first ambassador to Somaliland
Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, months after officially recognizing the breakaway region of Somalia.
The appointment of Michael Lotem, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, was reported on Wednesday by Israeli public broadcaster.
This is the latest step in a partnership that has rapidly accelerated since December, when Israel became the first country the world to recognize Somaliland, thus ending more than 30 years of diplomatic isolation.
On Tuesday, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told a joint session of parliament that Israel had proven itself to be a “reliable partner,” drawing lawmakers to applause.
But Somalia’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning Israel’s decision to appoint an ambassador, calling it a “direct violation” of the country’s sovereignty and unity.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, following a devastating civil war, but Somalia never recognized him.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland attracted broad condemnation of the UN Security Council, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union.
Since Israel’s announcement in December, the two sides have made rapid progress in developing relations.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visit Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, in January, and Somaliland subsequently sent a delegation from its water ministry to Israel for water management training.
Somaliland’s president told the Reuters news agency in February that he expected a trade deal with Israel to follow soon.
Israel also granted diplomatic approval to Mohamed Hagi, a presidential adviser who played a central role in negotiating recognition, as Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel.
Somali officials have been angered by the tightening ties, with the country’s president earlier this year calling it a “the most serious attack» on the country’s sovereignty and accusing Israel of seeking to establish a military base to launch attacks against Yemen.
Somaliland lies across the Gulf of Aden from Yemenwhere the Iran-backed Houthi movement controls the northwest of the country. The group is hostile to Israel and began firing missiles into the country in late March in response to Israeli strikes on Iran.
The Houthis have said they would view the Israeli presence in Somaliland as a legitimate target.
In March, Somaliland Presidency Minister Khadar Hussein Abdi told Bloomberg that he would pursue a “strategic relationship” with Israel encompassing security cooperation.
Abdi refused to rule out the prospect of an Israeli military base in the country and said it “would be analyzed at some point.”
Ali Omar, Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said Al Jazeera said his country did not want to see its territory “dragged into external clashes or used in ways that would further destabilize an already sensitive region.”
