Al-Shabaab militants, file photo
from SAAD MUSE in Mogadishu, Somalia
Somalia Bureau
MOGADISHU, (CAJ News) – THE United States (US) military is accused of killing innocent civilians during airstrikes against the Al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia.
Three of these individuals were killed in March.
Amnesty International, the human rights group, stated there was no evidence linking the trio to the armed group.
The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) is accused of the killings.
“It’s bad enough that the US Africa Command appears not to know who its air strikes are actually killing and maiming in its secretive war in Somalia,” said Abdullahi Hassan, Amnesty International’s Somalia Researcher.
“It is reprehensible that AFRICOM offers no way for those affected to contact it and has failed to reach out to the families of victims after its version of events was called into question in this case.”
Hassan said the US military was tarnishing large parts of the Somali population with the terrorist label.
“No thought is given to the civilian victims or the plight of their grieving families left behind,” Hassan said.
He said the US government must ensure investigations into all allegations of civilian casualties.
The Islamist Al-Shabaab group has been active since 2004.
– CAJ News