Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia on Wednesday condemned Israel’s appointment of its first ambassador to the north-western breakaway region of Somaliland as a “direct breach” of its sovereignty, while Somaliland hit back within hours, saying Mogadishu had “no legal standing” to interfere in its relations with other states.
In a statement, the federal government said it “expresses its firm condemnation” of Israel’s move to appoint a diplomatic representative to what it called “the northern-western region of Somalia, Somaliland”.
Mogadishu said it “categorically rejects any attempt to confer diplomatic or political recognition on any part of its territory outside the authority of the Federal Government”, emphasising that Somaliland “remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
It said the move “stands in clear contradiction to international law” and urged Israel to “reconsider and reverse this decision”.
Somalia also appealed to the African Union, the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union and the wider international community to “uphold international law” and reject any move that could legitimise secessionist claims.
It said it would remain committed to defending its unity and sovereign rights “through all available diplomatic, political, and legal channels in accordance with international law”.
Hargeisa hits back
Somaliland rejected Mogadishu’s statement as “unfounded in law, inaccurate in history, and lacking factual basis”.
In its own response, Hargeisa said Somalia had “no legal standing to interfere in, comment on, or constrain Somaliland’s bilateral relations with any state” and insisted that its diplomatic ties with Israel were “the exercise of its sovereign prerogatives”.
It said Somaliland’s sovereignty was “non-negotiable” and that its foreign relations depended “solely on its sovereign will”.
The exchange followed Israel’s earlier Wednesday announcement that veteran diplomat Michael Lotem had been appointed as non-resident ambassador to Somaliland.
Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, according to Israeli and regional media reports.
The appointment is the latest step in a fast-moving relationship. Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” on December 26, 2025.
Israel and Somaliland have moved quickly to formalise ties since that recognition.
In January, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Hargeisa and said the two sides had established full diplomatic relations.
In February, Somaliland appointed Mohamed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel, and Israel said it would appoint its own envoy in return.
Wednesday’s naming of Lotem completes that next step.
De facto statehood
Somaliland, however, says its case is different.
It argues that the former British Somaliland became independent on June 26, 1960 and was recognised in its own right before voluntarily joining the former Italian-administered south days later to form the Somali Republic.
It says the union lacked a binding legal foundation capable of extinguishing its statehood, and that it merely “reasserted its sovereignty” in 1991 after the collapse of Siad Barre’s regime.
For more than three decades, Somaliland has operated with its own government, parliament, currency and security forces, and its leaders point to relative stability and repeated elections as evidence of de facto statehood.
In its latest statement, Hargeisa said it had “conducted credible elections, maintained internal peace, and acted as a responsible partner in a strategically significant region”, including through “counter-terrorism cooperation, anti-piracy efforts, and the safeguarding of key maritime routes”.
Still, the dispute underscores the deep, unresolved challenge to Somali statehood, as Mogadishu views Somaliland’s actions as a fundamental threat that continues to test the country’s unity and future direction.
