MOGADISHU, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) suspended aid distribution to more than 75,000 people in Mogadishu on Wednesday after Somali government troops detained the agency's chief in the capital.

"In the light of Mr. (Idris) Osman's detention and in view of WFP's duty to safeguard its staff, WFP is forced immediately to suspend these distributions and the loading of WFP food from our warehouses in the Somali capital," a U.N. statement said.

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