afrol News, 17 October - The UN food body, the World Food Programme (WFP) has stopped distributing food aid in the Somalian capital Mogadishu where government troops have abducted body's local head, Idris Osman.

The abduction of Osman followed the storming of about 60 soldiers in the UN compound.

No explanation has been given for the abduction, which violates international law. He was held at the National Security Service headquarters cell close to the presidential palace.

WFP started food distribution through mosques to more than 75,000 people in the capital on Monday after forging an agreement with the local governor. The UN body provides emergency food aid to more than two million Somalis.

In June, the WFP was forced by violence to suspend food distribution.

”In the light of Mr Osman’s detention and in view of WFP’s duty to safeguard its staff, WFP is forced immediately to suspend these distributions and the loading of WFP food from our warehouses in the Somali capital,” WFP said in a statement.

Since the ousting of the Islamic Courts Union from power in December last year, Somali has been embroiled in a climate of unrest.

Somali lawmakers who sit in Baidoa suspended their sitting without deciding on the rift between the transitional government President, Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi. President Yusuf is seeking a parliamentary backing to sack Mr Ghedi claiming that his term of office has expired.

An Ethiopian military intervention ushered in the two officials to power. It was against this background that Prime Minister Ghedi flew to Addis Ababa to resolve the rift.

The UN has however warned against a vote of no confidence, arguing that it will undermine the peace process.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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