Israel's first ambassador to Somaliland, Michael Lotem, has presented his credentials in Hargeisa, and work has symbolically begun on an Israeli embassy there, the South China Morning Post reports. Israel's foreign ministry made the announcement on Sunday; the step formalises ties that began when Israel and the breakaway region recognised each other in December.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not recognised by most countries. Somalia, the African Union, Arab states and China all strongly oppose Israel's move and regard Somaliland as Somali territory. Beijing views the recognition as support for separatism and a possible threat to its naval base in neighbouring Djibouti, and China and Djibouti have jointly restated their support for Somalia's territorial integrity. The paper notes that Somaliland's port of Berbera lies near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key Red Sea shipping route.
Source: South China Morning Post