ERIGAVO, Somalia July 15 (Garowe Online) - Hundreds of protestors gathered together in the region of Sanaag, in northern Somalia, to protest against the separatist republic of Somaliland, Radio Garowe reported Tuesday.

Protestors in Badhan, Sanaag/Image:GO

The protestors, including students and women activists, carried placards expressing their messages, from supporting peace in Sanaag to condemnation of Somaliland's aggressive policies in the region.

The demonstrators walked up and down the streets of Badhan, a town in the eastern part of Sanaag.

The region is disputed between breakaway Somaliland and the semiautonomous state of Puntland, located at Somalia's northeastern tip. The two rival sub-states have fought several times in Sool and Sanaag regions since 2002.

Protestors in Badhan, Sanaag/Image:GO

Last week, Somaliland forces briefly seized control of Las Qorey, a small port town along the Sanaag coast, before withdrawing voluntarily.

Also on Tuesday, Sanaag clan elders met privately with Puntland government officials in the Gulf of Aden port of Bossaso.

The elders urged the Puntland officials, including Security Minister Abdullahi Said Samatar, to improve the region's security and to "always work with the elders," according to a source.

Meanwhile, a German man and his wife who were kidnapped by Somali pirates on June 23 are still being held hostage somewhere in Sanaag region.

Source: Garowe Online