UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday strongly condemned the storming by Somali government forces of a UN compound in Mogadishu and their detention of a representative of the World Food Program (WFP).
"The Secretary General strongly condemns the forceful and illegal entry of government security forces into the United Nations compound in Mogadishu, and the detention of a United Nations official," Ban's press office in a statement.
Ban called for "the immediate and unconditional release of the staff member" and reminded the Somali transitional government of "its obligation to protect all United Nations staff members and property."
"Today's actions are in flagrant violation of the 1946 Convention on Privileges and Immunity to which the Somali government formally committed in the January 2006 agreement," the statement noted.
Somali government forces earlier on Wednesday stormed the UN compound in Mogadishu and arrested the WFP's top representative in the capital.
The WFP promptly responded by suspending food distribution to more than 75,000 people in the city. No shots were fired during the incident.
The UN agency also noted that international law bars entry to UN premises without prior permission.
Violence in Somalia has forced many humanitarian groups to quit the country, leaving UN agencies and a few remaining others relying on local staff to run limited operations.
WFP said on Wednesday that between 50 and 60 Somali government security forces, some in uniform, entered the compound and seized Osman, who was being held in a cell near the presidential palace. No shots were fired, WFP said.
Some 1.5 million Somalis are now in need of food aid and protection -- or 50 percent more that at the start of the year -- due to inadequate rains, continuing internal displacement and a potential cholera epidemic, Okabe said, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Somali Interior Minister Mohamed Mohamoud Guled denied that government officers carried out any operation at the UN compound. But he said the WFP recently distributed food aid without consulting the government, which in recent months has blocked distributions to areas perceived to be against the government.
The civilians killed during the late battle on Tuesday died when mortars crashed into their houses during fighting that began when 100 insurgents blasted a police station in the south of Mogadishu with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, residents said.
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