American drones such as the remotely piloted General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, have been used primarily by the United States Air Force for counter-terror airstrikes in the Horn-of-African nation Somalia. (Source: Creative Commons)
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES
In the latest quarterly civilian casualty assessment report period ending Dec. 31, 2022, U.S. Africa Command received two reports of civilian casualties on Sept. 23, 2022 and Oct. 1, 2022, AFRICOM said Friday. The reports turned out to be unsubstantiated after “thorough assessment”, according to AFRICOM.
“After a thorough assessment of the facts and circumstances, U.S. Africa Command found the Sept. 23 report unsubstantiated. The Sept. 23 report alleged civilian casualties related to a Sept. 9 strike. U.S. Africa Command did not conduct a strike on Sept. 9. After a thorough assessment of the facts and circumstances, U.S. Africa Command found the Oct. 1 report unsubstantiated. On Oct. 1, 2022 an airstrike was conducted against two al-Shabaab members.”
-AFRICOM statement March 10, 2023.
This is the 12th quarterly civilian casualty assessment report since U.S. AFRICOM began releasing reports in April 2020. The reports are part of the command’s commitment to transparency and accountability. “U.S. Africa Command takes all reports of possible civilian casualties seriously and has a process to conduct thorough assessments using all available information. The command will continue to maintain and improve the civilian casualty assessment program and remains committed to reviewing and assessing any reports of civilian harm,” AFRICOM stated.
U.S. Airstrikes in SOMALIA Rise Sharply Under President Biden
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes in Somalia on Jan. 1, 2021. The U.S. Biden administration on Jul 20, 2021 carried out its first airstrike in Somaila (credit: africom.mil)
In December 2020, the Trump administration ordered the withdrawal of more than 700 U.S. troops from Somalia by early 2021. The Biden administration resumed military activity inside Somalia in the first quarter of 2022. President Biden’s Department of Defense has since been striking hard against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa. By early June 2022, the Pentagon conducted at least eight airstrikes in Somalia. US air strikes in Somalia increased 30 percent in 2022. Last month, a U.S. airstrike against Al Shabaab killed 30 jihadists northeast of Mogadishu near Galcad, Somalia.
US Redeployment Should Stress Civilian Protection – Human Rights Watch
The reported United States decision to redeploy several hundred US troops in Somalia, as part of a joint operation with the Somali government and African Union forces, should make civilian protection a priority, Human Rights Watch wrote in May 2022 as the Biden administration announced American forces return to the Horn of Africa nation.
“US officials should be very clear on how their forces will avoid harming Somali civilians during military operations,” said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “They will need to work closely with Somali and African Union authorities to avoid repeating past laws of war violations and promptly and appropriately respond to civilian loss.”
US Military Admits Killing Civilians in Past Somalia Counter-Terror Airstrike
The US goal in Somalia is to weaken al-Shabab militarily in order to foster a political settlement, according to senior officials of AFRICOM. The airstrikes are not without controversy, as there have been reports of civilian casualties over the years. The Pentagon acknowledged in April 2020 that a military strike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three more. Many accuse the US of playing down and/or disputing civilian deaths. AFRICOM made the surprise admission concerning civilian casualties in its campaign against al-Shabaab. As part of the command’s commitment to transparency, Africom is implementing a quarterly report on the status of ongoing and completed civilian casualty allegations and assessments. The April 2020 acknowledgment was at the time was the second time in recent years Africom admitted civilian casualties in Somalia in association with airstrikes.
