Somalia: US halts assistance to federal government

The US announced on Wednesday that it has halted all assistance to Somalia's federal government.

The move comes as a result of accusations that Somali officials demolished an American funded warehouse belonging to the world food programme, and stole dozens of metric tonnes of aid intended for residents living in poverty.

The state department said any resumption of assistance would be ''dependent upon the Somali Federal Government, taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps.”

It comes as the White House has ramped up criticism of of Somali refugees and migrants in the US.

The trump administration has imposed restrictions on Somalis wanting to move to the US and made it tough for those already living there to remain.

It marks a departure from the last year of Joe Biden’s presidency, when the US gave some 770 million dollars in assistance for projects in Somalia.