Israel’s newly appointed ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, said that relations between Israel and Somaliland are rapidly expanding in many areas, including security, energy, infrastructure, technology and trade.
In an interview with Israeli media outlet N12, Lotem said that Somaliland has expressed a strong desire to deepen its cooperation with Israel.
“They want to strengthen cooperation in almost all areas — from energy and infrastructure to technology, education and communications,” Lotem said.
The diplomat noted that security talks are part of the bilateral relationship, but there is political and economic cooperation that goes beyond security issues.
Lotem, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Seychelles, has now been appointed Israel’s non-resident ambassador to Somaliland. He said that the Somaliland-Israeli relationship is part of a broader Israeli plan to strengthen its influence in Africa, especially in Muslim-majority countries.
“In recent years, Israel has made a lot of diplomatic efforts to strengthen its presence in Africa,” he said.
The ambassador also noted that Somaliland has abundant natural resources, including oil, gas, gold, iron ore and coal, which he said could create huge economic opportunities. “They are very interested in working with Israel along the entire value chain,” he said, adding that there are also opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, water, health and education.
Several countries, including Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kenya, Denmark and the UK, have previously opened representative offices in Somaliland, although they do not officially recognize its independence.
A report by the Israeli Institute for Security Studies (INSS) said that the relationship between Somaliland and Israel could be a “major turning point” in helping Israel fight the Houthi group in Yemen, with Somaliland described as a strategic location that is important for security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro, has previously said that Somaliland is ready to join the Abraham Accords, describing it as a step that will promote peace and cooperation in the Middle East and Africa.
In December last year, Israel became the first country to officially recognize Somaliland as an independent state. The move has been strongly opposed by the Somali government and most regional governments and organizations.
