{"id":20094,"date":"2026-08-01T23:08:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/?p=20094"},"modified":"2026-08-09T12:19:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T12:19:11","slug":"africom-admits-errors-causing-civilian-casualties-in-somalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/2026\/08\/01\/africom-admits-errors-causing-civilian-casualties-in-somalia\/","title":{"rendered":"AFRICOM admits errors causing civilian casualties in Somalia"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU \u2013 <\/strong>The Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin Anderson, acknowledged that mistakes occurred during previous U.S. military operations in Somalia and resulted in the deaths or injuries of civilians, bringing civilian protection back to the forefront of debate over U.S. airstrikes and their role in joint operations against armed groups. Anderson said U.S. forces take measures to reduce the likelihood of harming civilians, but acknowledged that military operations in a complex security environment continue to carry risks. He stressed that the command addresses allegations of civilian casualties through established review and investigation mechanisms.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the media in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, Anderson said the U.S. command takes credible reports of civilian casualties or unintended harm resulting from military operations seriously. He explained that some previous cases had been investigated and U.S. responsibility established. He added that compensation had been provided to affected people in some of those cases, saying that reviewing incidents is intended not only to determine responsibility but also to draw lessons and improve the planning, targeting, and execution of future operations in order to reduce the likelihood of similar mistakes.<\/p>\n

The United States conducts air operations in Somalia as part of its efforts against Al-Shabaab and ISIS, with Washington saying that the strikes target leaders, members, and locations associated with the two groups in an effort to limit their ability to carry out attacks and weaken their operational structures. The Somali government views security cooperation with the United States as one element of support for its efforts against armed groups. However, continued air operations make civilian protection a central part of assessing the results of this cooperation, particularly in areas where armed activity overlaps with civilian populations and livelihoods.<\/p>\n

While AFRICOM says it has procedures for assessing reports of civilian casualties, independent organizations and other bodies continue to monitor and document incidents they say resulted in civilian deaths or injuries during U.S. airstrikes and military operations in Somalia. The U.S. command has rejected some of these allegations while keeping other cases under review, making transparency in the publication of investigation findings an important factor in addressing differences between official accounts and independent reports. This aspect is particularly important for affected communities seeking clarity about the circumstances of incidents, the determination of responsibility, and appropriate remedies when harm is established as being linked to military operations.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the AFRICOM commander stressed that Al-Shabaab and ISIS remain, in his assessment, major sources of danger to civilians in Somalia, citing attacks targeting markets, government facilities, security forces, and populated areas. He accused armed groups of exploiting some reports concerning civilian casualties as part of propaganda against security operations, while emphasizing that confronting the groups remains a key U.S. objective. Nevertheless, civilian protection remains inseparable from the success of counterterrorism efforts, as unintended harm can affect community trust and further complicate the environment in which Somali forces and their international partners operate.<\/p>\n

Anderson\u2019s remarks come as the Federal Government of Somalia works to expand the responsibility of its national forces for security operations and strengthen their capacity to confront threats posed by armed groups. The United States provides military, intelligence, and training support to Somali forces, as well as backing for certain operations targeting Al-Shabaab and ISIS leaders and members. As the partnership develops, there is a growing need to strengthen Somali capabilities in civilian protection, humanitarian law, and incident investigation, alongside clear accountability and compensation mechanisms, ensuring that security operations are accompanied by effective measures to protect the population.<\/p>\n

The U.S. acknowledgment of previous civilian errors in Somalia once again highlights the sensitivity of air operations in an environment where armed activity overlaps with populated communities and rural areas. While counterterrorism remains a shared priority for Mogadishu and Washington, sustaining security cooperation requires maintaining public trust and ensuring respect for civilian protection standards. This makes it important to develop more transparent investigative mechanisms, clearly publish review findings, and strengthen compensation when responsibility is established, while simultaneously supporting state institutions, essential services, and development so that counterterrorism efforts form part of a broader path toward protecting communities and strengthening stability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU \u2013 The Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin Anderson, acknowledged that mistakes occurred during previous U.S. military operations in Somalia and resulted in the deaths or injuries of civilians, bringing civilian protection back to the forefront of debate over U.S. airstrikes and their role in joint operations against armed groups. Anderson …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-news","category-protection-cluster"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t