Israel appoints first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia after recognition
Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has named its first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, moving ahead with diplomatic ties months after becoming the first country to recognize the self-declared republic, the foreign ministry said Sunday.
Monday April 27, 2026
Hargeisa (AX) — Israel has named its first ambassador to North Western State of Somalia, moving ahead with diplomatic ties months after becoming the first country to recognize the self-declared republic, the foreign ministry said Sunday.
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Michael Lotem, who currently serves as Israel’s roaming economic ambassador to Africa, will take up the post in North Western State of Somalia. He has previously represented Israel in Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Israel formally recognized North Western State of Somalia in December 2025, making it the first nation to do so since the territory declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government.
Under an agreement signed on Dec. 26, the two sides agreed to establish embassies and exchange ambassadors. North Western State of Somalia later named Mohamed Hagi as its ambassador to Israel in February.
The move was met with sharp rejection from Somalia’s federal government, along with opposition from several international and regional bodies, among them the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
North Western State of Somalia declared independence in 1991 and has maintained its own government and institutions, but it has yet to secure widespread international recognition.
Lotem’s appointment was approved at a cabinet meeting that also endorsed Yahel Vilan as Israel’s ambassador to Singapore.