Hargeisa — The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned Israel’s appointment of its first ambassador to Somaliland, calling on Israel to reverse its decision. Somaliland’s government responded with an unusually forceful public rebuke, telling the OIC it does not speak for the Somaliland people.
OIC Condemnation
The OIC expressed strong condemnation of Israel’s appointment of Michael Lotem as non-resident ambassador to Somaliland, framing the move as a violation of the sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The organisation called on the international community to pressure Tel Aviv to reverse both its recognition of Somaliland and the subsequent diplomatic appointments. The condemnation follows similar statements from the African Union, the Arab League, the UN Security Council, and the European Union.
Somaliland Fires Back
The Republic of Somaliland’s official response was direct and unambiguous. Posting on its official X account, Somaliland told the OIC: “You do NOT speak for us. The Republic of Somaliland is a sovereign, independent nation. Your condemnation of Israel appointing an Ambassador to Hargeisa only proves how irrelevant and toothless you have become.”
The statement challenged the OIC to name a single terrorist group it had actually defeated or a single issue it had actually resolved for its member states. “Why don’t you condemn Al-Shabaab? Why don’t you condemn ISIS, the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, or Iran’s terror proxies? Name ONE terror group you have actually crushed — not funded.” Somaliland also pointed out that it is an overwhelmingly Muslim country pursuing pragmatic partnerships based on shared interests, not religious alignment. “The Republic of Somaliland is the ONLY peaceful, democratic, stable, terror-free success story in the Horn of Africa,” the post stated.
Why This Response Matters
Somaliland’s blunt public rebuttal is strategically significant. It demonstrates confidence and a willingness to confront powerful multilateral institutions publicly. It reframes Somaliland’s Israeli relationship in terms of pragmatic governance rather than religious politics — directly addressing the most potent criticism being used against it in Muslim-majority diplomatic circles. And it draws a sharp contrast between Somaliland’s 34-year record of stability, democracy, and counter-terrorism cooperation and the OIC’s record of statements without action.
A Pattern of Defiance That Serves the Recognition Strategy
Each Israeli-Somaliland development since December 2025 has triggered a wave of condemnation from the coalition backing Somalia. And each time, Somaliland has responded not with retreat but with deepened engagement. Every condemnation that fails to produce a reversal demonstrates that the international coalition opposing Somaliland’s recognition cannot enforce its position. Every Somaliland rebuttal that frames the relationship in terms of democracy, stability, and counter-terrorism adds to the body of evidence that Hargeisa is a serious state actor making sovereign decisions in its own interest — exactly the kind of entity that deserves a seat at the international table.