WFP urged to remove GM relief food in Zambia

Source - Xinhua News Agency (Eng)

LUSAKA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has appealed to the World Food Program
(WFP) to remove the Genetically Modified relief food stocks still stored in
various sheds around the country to stop the growing tendency of looting by
hunger-stricken villagers, Deputy Minister in the Office of Vice President
Steven Mukuka told Zambia News Agency on Tuesday.

The GM relief foodstuff - mainly maize has been stuck in storage sheds
around the country since the government rejected them last year because
their repercussions, after consumption, on human life were not known.

Mukuka expressed the government's concern at the pace at which the GM stocks
were being shipped out of the country. He said the government would like to
see the said stocks quickly taken to countries where it had been accepted.

"About ten months ago, our office requested the WFP to remove the stocks
from the places where it had been taken for storage because the government
had rejected it," Mukuka said.

He called on the WFP to look at the situation as being critical especially
with the recent looting of the GM mealie meal in Southern Province's
Sinazongwe District.

Mukuka added that it is important to respect the government's decisions and
that if the WFP needed help in removing the relief food, the government was
ready to assist in any way possible.

Mukuka who described the Sinazogwe incident as unfortunate warned that if
the GM relief food stocks were not urgently removed, the trend was
likely to
spread to other parts of the country where the stocks were still stored.

He further appealed to the Zambian people to respect and understand
government's decision on the rejected GM relief food as it has maintained
that stance.

He also warned that looters of the GM relief food risk being prosecuted.

Over 6,000 hungry villagers in Sinazongwe looted 4,305 by 25 kg GM mealie
meal over the weekend after beating up a police constable guarding the
grain.