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**Islamist insurgents who control large parts of southern Somalia have told the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) to stop importing goods into the country.**The al-Shabab group issued a statement saying the WFP must start buying from Somali farmers, saying mass importing had devastated local agriculture.
Analysts say al-Shabab is hoping to boost its support in farming areas.
Drought and war has left more than 109,000 young children dependent on the feeding centres run by the WFP.
The UN estimates half of the people living in central and southern Somalia - areas largely controlled by Islamist militants - are now in need of food aid.
Militant deadline
But the WFP itself has come under attack several times from insurgents.
Road trip to Islamist heartland
WFP to shut Somalia food centres
And the programme has also been forced to shut feeding centres because of a lack of funding which has been blamed on strict US sanctions.
A statement from al-Shabab said the WFP must empty all of its storage warehouses by the end of the year, and warned local businesses they must end contracts with the WFP.
“The bringing of immense quantities of free food rations, and specifically during the harvest season, has been devastating to the agriculture industry in Somalia,” the statement said.
“It has been decided that the WFP must immediately refrain from bringing food rations from outside of Somalia and rather purchase food from Somali farmers, and then that food will be distributed to the needy in Somalia.”
Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991.
Islamist groups including al-Shabab determined to impose a hard-line interpretation of Islamic law have taken over most of the south and central parts of the nation.