MOGADISHU, Somalia Nov 8 (Garowe Online) - The parliament Speaker in Somalia's northern state of Puntland says the Puntland government must recapture the disputed town of Las Anod within a set period of time or face consequences.

"The administration was told to return the freedom of Sool region, especially the capital Las Anod, and to guarantee the borders of Puntland, which have been invaded by aggressors," Puntland Parliament Speaker Ahmed Ali Hashi told Radio Garowe during a Thursday interview.

Ahmed Ali Hashi, Speaker of Puntland parliament

The Speaker said a defense and security motion was passed in parliament, giving the administration of President Mohamud "Adde" Muse a set number of days to retake Las Anod from Somaliland troops who captured the town last month.

"We gave the administration a set period of time to recapture Las Anod and that time is secret between government members," Speaker Hashi said, while urging the Puntland government "to reach the border so that the Las Anod injustice does not continue."

Separatist troops from the breakaway Somaliland republic are attempting to put down a popular uprising opposed to their presence in Las Anod.

Yesterday, hundreds of Somaliland troops backed by more than 100 armed trucks participated in an operation inside Las Anod to clear roads closed off by protestors since last week. [ Full story]

Speaker Hashi put a different twist to Somaliland's presence in Las Anod: "They were anti-Somalia [before] but today they have rejoined the Somalis," he said.

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence in 1991 and has run its own affairs since, mainly due to its complete detachment from political and military developments in the southern regions.

He said a "Somali solution involving Somaliland" is not far off, since "they [Somaliland] incited this war."

To the Puntland government, Speaker Hashi's words were even more blunt: "Puntland must make an immediate decision about the defense of Puntland or Puntland will not exist," he said.

There are fears of a major Somaliland-Puntland war that could potentially devastate the relatively peaceful northern regions.

So far, more than 20,000 civilians have fled Las Anod since October 15 when Somaliland forces took control of the city.

Source: Garowe Online