Israel has appointed Michael Lotem as its first non-resident ambassador to Somaliland (a self-declared breakaway region in the Horn of Africa not internationally recognised as independent), a move that drew swift diplomatic backlash. The foreign ministers of twelve countries — including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Palestine — issued a joint statement calling the appointment a "flagrant violation" of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and warning it sets a dangerous precedent for regional stability. Israel had formally recognised Somaliland as an independent state in December, becoming the first country to do so, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has also condemned the move.