Israel appoints first ambassador to Somaliland

The move comes months after Israel became the first country to recognise the territory, in a widely condemned moveIsrael has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, months after it officially recognised the breakaway region in Somalia.The appointment of Michael Lotem, who has previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, was reported by Israel’s public broadcaster on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Somalia warns against any Israeli base plans on Somalilandlist 2 of 3What’s Netanyahu’s planned ‘hexagon’ alliance – and can it work?list 3 of 3‘Our geography is our oil’: Why Djibouti hosts many foreign military basesend of listIt is the latest step in a partnership that has gathered pace rapidly since December, when Israel became the first country in the world to recognise Somaliland, ending more than 30 years of diplomatic isolation.On Tuesday, Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, told a joint session of parliament that Israel had proven itself a “reliable partner”, drawing lawmakers to their feet in applause.But Somalia’s foreign ministry released a statement condemning Israel’s decision to appoint an ambassdor, describing it as a “direct breach” of the country’s sovereignty and unity.Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, following a devastating civil war, but Somalia has never recognised it.Israel’s recognition of Somaliland has drawn wide condemnation from the UN Security Council, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union.Since Israel’s announcement in December, both sides have moved swiftly to develop the relationship.Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, visited Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, in January, and Somaliland subsequently sent a delegation from its water ministry to Israel for training in water management.Somaliland’s president told the news agency Reuters in February that he expected a trade deal with Israel to follow soon.