The semiautonomous Puntland state has jailed four government officials of the self-declared Somalialand republic following a border dispute.
The officials were seized in Taleh district after clashes on August 10. The area is about 1,100km northeast of Mogadishu.
“Our security officials seized 11 (Somaliland) officials that trespassed our jurisdiction,” the spokesman of Puntland’s presidency, Omar Abdullahi Farole, said.
District judge Abdinur Jama Hussein on Wednesday handed down terms ranging from 5-10 years.
Soldiers accompanying the officers at the time of capture were each sentenced to five years in prison.
Large territory
The however court released one of the accused after he proved that he was not a Somaliland government officer.
Somaliland was formed in May 1991 following the collapse of central rule in Somalia while Puntland was constituted as a semiautonomous state in August 1998.
The two authorities have been in dispute over the control of a large territory that comprises most of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) regions that lie between them.
However, a rebel movement calling itself SSC Authority has been claiming independence from both Puntland and Somaliland, further complicating the dispute.
According to SSC leaders, the group believes in the unity of Somalia and is particularly opposed to the secessionist ideal of the Somaliland leaders.
By: ABDULKADIR KHALIF
Source: Africa Review
kaarshe Blog 
kaarshe
11/09/2011
Two regions still and officially part of Somalia Republic are fighting over another Somali territories called Sanaag and Ceyn. One of these regions (PUNTLAND STATE) officially known in Somalia as “Gobalka Waqooyi Bari” arrested eleven innocent Somali citizens from (SOMALILAND STATE) Formally known in Somalia as ” Gobalka Waqooyi Galbeed”. The alleged crime of these innocent Somali citizens are ” trespassed our jurisdiction,” They were found guilt of trespassing Somali territory. As far as I know the trespassing a public property if not prohibited by a Somali law was and still not a crime given the fact that Somali people as nomadic society. Spokesman of “Gobalka Waqooyi Bari” (Puntland) president confirms the arrest of the eleve innocent Somali citizens and says “Our security officials seized 11 (Somaliland) officials that trespassed our jurisdiction,”. District court presided by Honourable judge Abdinur Jama Hussein found them guilty as charged the eleven (Somalilanders) for trespassing jurisdiction, and sentenced them from 5-10 years in prison.