Tel Aviv (Somalia Today) – Somaliland’s presidency said on Wednesday that it had appointed its first ambassador to Israel, while Israel announced it had formally accepted the envoy, cementing a controversial alliance that has reshaped the diplomatic landscape of the Horn of Africa.
The dual announcements rapidly formalise ties between the Jewish state and the self-declared republic after Israel recognised Somaliland’s independence late last year.
In a decree issued in Hargeisa, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi named Dr. Mohamed Omar Haji Mohamud as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” to the State of Israel.
An Israeli foreign ministry protocol note, dated February 23, 2026, and seen by Somalia Today, confirmed that the government had granted agrément to the appointment of “Dr. Mohamed Hagi”.
The note said Israel made the decision in response to a request from the Somaliland presidency on February 15 and after understandings reached during Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s visit to Hargeisa last month.
Israel’s foreign ministry described the new envoy as an adviser to Abdillahi and a member of the “inner circle” of officials who engineered the rapprochement between the two governments in 2025.
‘Vigorously advance’
‘Vigorously advance’Diplomatic momentum has accelerated since Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland’s sovereignty on December 26, 2025.
The move ended decades of diplomatic isolation for the breakaway region, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remained internationally regarded as part of the Horn of Africa nation.
Saar visited Hargeisa on January 6 and pledged to “vigorously advance” bilateral relations.
Abdillahi is now expected to travel to Israel in late March for what would be the first official visit by a Somaliland leader since recognition, according to sources familiar with the planning.
Abdillahi had previously travelled to Israel for secret talks before the two sides made the relationship public.
Strategic corridor
The alliance has drawn intense scrutiny because of Somaliland’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint for global shipping that has faced persistent attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Israel has framed the partnership as part of a broader effort to protect maritime interests and expand its circle of allies in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised immediate cooperation in agriculture, technology, and security.
On Wednesday, the Israeli foreign ministry highlighted a training course now underway in Israel for Somaliland water officials, signalling that technical cooperation is advancing alongside diplomacy.
Officials said the programme, run by Israel’s MASHAV agency, includes the director-general of Somaliland’s water ministry.
Regional backlash
The warming ties have triggered fury in Mogadishu, which regards Somaliland as an integral part of its territory.
Somalia’s government condemned Saar’s January visit as a “violation of sovereignty” and rallied support from the African Union, Egypt, Turkey, and Djibouti to oppose the recognition.
The Israel-Somaliland pact adds another layer of volatility to a region already strained by Ethiopia’s January 2024 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, which sought naval access in exchange for potential recognition.
That deal had already pushed Somalia closer to historic rivals of Ethiopia and Israel, including Turkey.
Abdillahi, who won the election in November 2024, told reporters earlier this month that while no formal trade deal had been signed, his government was willing to offer access to mineral resources in exchange for Israeli investment.
He added that while military cooperation remained on the table, talks had not yet included the establishment of Israeli bases.
