The American military has been conducting a continuous military campaign in Somalia for over two decades, with nearly 300 drone strikes and commando raids carried out since the 2000s. However, despite the significant number of strikes and the admission of civilian casualties, the U.S. has failed to apologize or offer amends to Somali survivors.
In one particularly devastating air attack in April 2018, American troops killed three, and possibly five, civilians with a pair of missiles. A U.S. military investigation confirmed that a woman and child were among the dead, but their identities may never be known. Luul Dahir Mohamed, a 22-year-old woman, and her 4-year-old daughter, Mariam Shilow Muse, were the victims of this tragic incident.
The Intercept’s investigation into the attack revealed that the family had been trying to contact the U.S. government for six years through an online civilian casualty reporting portal, but they never received a response. The lack of accountability and acknowledgment from the U.S. government has left the family devastated. They have not been provided with a reason or an apology for the loss of their loved ones.
A new report by the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), shared exclusively with The Intercept, highlights the importance of justice for civilian victims and survivors of U.S. drone strikes in Somalia. The report emphasizes that official acknowledgment, apologies, and financial compensation would help these individuals move forward from the trauma they have experienced.
CIVIC interviewed 38 individuals who identified as civilian victims of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia, as well as eight civil society experts. The majority of respondents expressed a desire for justice through U.S. accountability, including acknowledgment of the deaths, apologies, and financial amends. Many mentioned the traditional Somali custom of “diya” or blood money, which is used to resolve disputes.
Despite the Pentagon admitting to killing innocent people in some cases, the U.S. has failed to apologize or offer amends to any Somali survivors. The report by CIVIC sheds light on the devastating physical harm, economic burdens, and long-lasting psychological trauma experienced by these individuals.
Following The Intercept’s investigation, two dozen human rights organizations called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to compensate Luul and Mariam’s family. Several members of Congress, including Elizabeth Warren, Sara Jacobs, Ilhan Omar, Barbara Lee, and Jim McGovern, have also joined the effort.
The response from the Defense Department has only compounded the trauma suffered by the survivors. The families have been left in the dark, with no communication or outreach from AFRICOM or the U.S. Department of Defense. The lack of transparency and engagement with the affected families has been deeply hurtful.
CIVIC’s report includes 11 recommendations for the U.S. government, including a comprehensive approach to accountability and amends, prioritization of individual amends to victims and survivors, and the utilization of funds authorized by Congress for ex gratia payments.
In April, the Pentagon released its 2022 annual report on civilian casualties, claiming that no civilians were killed in U.S. military operations that year. However, no ex gratia payments were made to civilians harmed in previous years. The Defense Department missed its deadline for releasing the 2023 civilian casualty report, leaving survivors uncertain about any potential payments.
The lack of payments and the failure to provide justice to Somali survivors speaks volumes about the Department of Defense’s commitment to addressing the harm caused by its operations. The U.S. has the means to make these payments, but it ultimately comes down to political will.
In the meantime, Somali survivors continue to wait for an apology from the Pentagon and hope for some form of justice. The trauma they have experienced, both physically and psychologically, cannot be undone, but acknowledgment, apologies, and financial compensation would provide some solace and help them begin to heal.