MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United States has announced the suspension of all ongoing assistance programmes benefiting Somalia’s federal government, citing corruption and what it described as unacceptable conduct by authorities in Mogadishu.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Washington accused the Somali federal government of having “destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid intended for vulnerable Somalis”.
“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the statement said.
The US government added that the suspended assistance programmes would not be reinstated unless President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration takes steps to ensure accountability for what it called its “unacceptable actions” and implements appropriate remedial measures.
The decision marks the latest setback in relations between the two governments. It comes just a day after the United States confirmed that Somalia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abukar Osman – who is also the current president of the UN Security Council – is linked to a US-based healthcare company that was previously convicted of Medicaid fraud.
The latest move represents another significant blow to Somalia’s federal government, underscoring growing US concerns over governance, accountability and the handling of international assistance in the Horn of Africa nation.
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