Somaliland’s first-ever ambassador to a foreign country presented his diplomatic credentials to President Isaac Herzog on Monday.

Dr. Mohamed Hagi, appointed in February, has been serving as adviser to Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, and was an architect of Israel-Somaliland relations.

Israel in December became the only country in the world to recognize Somaliland’s independence — something the territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991.

“We have built a great relationship,” Hagi said, according to the President’s Residence, “which is a strategic one that will pave the way forward on many things in all domains, whether that is development, political cooperation, security cooperation, and, of course, the people-to-people relationship.”

Hagi said that Somaliland’s people “very much appreciate that Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland in 1960, and again, after 35 years of independence and sovereignty, Israel again became the first country that recognized Somaliland.”

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“Our relationship is unique because it’s not just about two governments, it’s about the people of Israel and the people of Somaliland,” he continued. “In Somaliland, you can see lots of Israeli flags and people waving them in the streets and in rural areas as well.”


President Isaac Herzog (center right) with Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, during a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, May 18, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

“I was delighted to receive the first-ever Ambassador of Somaliland to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, who presented his diplomatic credentials this morning,” Herzog wrote on X on Monday.

“Ambassador Hagi was kind enough to praise our orchestra, who played the national anthem of Somaliland for the first time ever in Israel. This important new partnership between our nations will bring a shared future of cooperation in a range of fields to the benefit of both our peoples and the entire region,” the president’s post read.

The new ambassadors of the Vatican, Australia, Korea and Vietnam are also presenting their credentials Monday at the President’s Residence.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted Hagi after he presented his credentials to Herzog.

He said that he congratulated Hagi on Somaliland’s Independence Day on Monday.

“I’ll continue building the relationship with Somaliland!” Sa’ar wrote on X.

Last month, Israel appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, while Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January this year.

Sa’ar also met with Hagi, hailing “another meaningful day on the path we’re paving together.”

Somaliland has its own currency, passport, and army, but has struggled to win international recognition, amid concerns in many capitals that this would provoke Somalia and encourage other separatist movements in Africa.

Israel’s recognition of the breakaway state sparked criticism from Somalia, which has long opposed Somaliland’s bid to secede, as well as from the African Union and the Arab League, which both said it “undermines” the territorial integrity of Somalia. The EU also criticized the move, and the United States said that it continued to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, “which includes the territory of Somaliland.”

Located in the Horn of Africa, Somaliland enjoys a strategic position across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthis hold territory, making it strategically valuable for Israel.

The Houthis, a terror group, began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, drawing Israeli airstrikes. They halted attacks after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza in October 2025.

Regional analysts believe that relations with Somaliland would provide Israel with better access to the Red Sea, enabling it to hit Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The breakaway state’s government in January denied that it had agreed to accept Gazan refugees or allow Israel to establish military bases on its soil in exchange for Israeli recognition, after Somalia’s presidency claimed that it had done so.


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