Militant group kicks Red Cross aid group out of regions in Somalia

The Somali militant group Al-Shabaab says it has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross from operating in the regions it controls, accusing the organization of distributing expired food.

In a statement on Twitter Monday the group said it "has decided to terminate the contract of #ICRC permanently... Following the repeated distribution of expired food and false accusations," that the organization is hindering food distribution.

Earlier this month the ICRC announced that it was suspending aid intended for up to 1.1 million people in central and southern Somalia because it was being hindered by local authorities.

Jean-Yves Clemenzo, a spokesman for the ICRC, said it had not changed its earlier stance but was trying to find a solution.

"We are aware of the announcement by Al-Shabaab. We are taking it quite seriously and analyzing the situation," said Clemenzo. Read More