Somalia: Death of 23 civilians in military strikes with Turkish drones may constitute war crimes – new investigation

• Attacks in March left 14 children dead and 17 civilians injured
• Families of the victims should receive reparations
• Indiscriminate attacks may constitute war crimes

Two attacks that killed 23 civilians during Somali military operations supported by Turkish drones must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said today.

Civilians killed in the attacks on March 18, 2024 included 14 children, five women and four men. Another 17 civilians were injured in the attacks: 11 children, two women and four men. All come from the marginalized Gorgaarte clan.

The strikes occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Jaffey farm, about three kilometers west of Baghdad village in the Lower Shabelle region. Victims and other residents told Amnesty International that the drone strikes followed intense ground fighting that began earlier in the day between the armed group Al-Shabaab and Somali security forces near the villages of Jambaluul and Baghdad.

The Somali and Turkish governments must investigate these deadly attacks as war crimes

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa

“The Somali and Turkish governments must investigate these deadly attacks as war crimes and put an end to the reckless attacks on civilians,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southern Africa.

“In Somalia, civilians have too often borne the brunt of the suffering of war. These terrible deaths cannot be overlooked. The devastated survivors and their families deserve truth, justice and reparation.”

Amnesty International interviewed 12 people remotely, including four victims and eyewitnesses and four family members of the victims. Researchers also reviewed satellite images and medical reports, analyzed photos of victims and weapons fragments, and geolocated videos from the site of the attacks and from Turkish drone operations at Mogadishu International Airport.

Based on photos of the ammunition scrap, Amnesty International’s weapons investigator was able to confirm that the attack was carried out using MAM-L glide bombs dropped by TB-2 drones. Both are manufactured by Türkiye. Attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilian objects are indiscriminate and may constitute war crimes.

Fatal blows

Al-Shabaab militants were present during clashes in Baghdad on March 18, according to an eyewitness interviewed by Amnesty International. A first drone attack hit a mosque in eastern Baghdad around 7:30 p.m., destroying the building and damaging surrounding houses. Amnesty International was unable to independently verify who was attacked in the mosque or whether there were any victims.

After this attack, many civilians fled to Jaffey Farm to seek refuge, according to eyewitnesses. In the first attack on the farm, several civilians were killed and injured. A second attack about 30 minutes later killed and injured more civilians who had traveled from the neighboring villages of Alifow and Gaalgube to rescue survivors after the first attack.

On March 19, Somalia’s Ministry of Information released a statement saying it had killed over 30 Al-Shabaab militants in the villages of Baghdad and Baldooska in coordination with “international partners.” The statement added: “The operation was launched in response to intelligence reports that Al-Shabaab militants were gathering in these areas and planning an attack against the Somali people… 15 Al-Shabaab members were killed in an airstrike in Baghdad. “

It is unclear whether Turkish or Somali forces were in control of the TB-2 drone at the time of the attacks on Jaffey Farm. A Somali government source told Amnesty International that members of the National Intelligence and Security Agency fly the TB-2 in combat operations against al-Shabaab. However, the UN Panel of Experts on Somalia reported in 2022 that, according to the Turkish government, Türkiye did not transfer the drones to Somalia in violation of the UN arms embargo, but rather used the drones itself “in the fight against terrorism”. . Also in 2022, Ahmed Malim Fiqi, Somalia’s then interior minister and current foreign minister, reportedly said that Turkish forces were operating the drones while Somali commanders were providing the targets.

In recent years, Türkiye has provided Somalia with military equipment and support. Satellite images and videos geolocated by Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab show Turkish TB-2 drones on the runway of Mogadishu International Airport as early as September 12, 2022. After years of training the Somali Armed Forces’ “Gorgor” unit at the camp Turksom in Türkiye Mogadishu, the two countries signed a framework agreement on defense and economic cooperation in February 2024.

On April 5, Amnesty International sent letters to the governments of Somalia and Turkey requesting details of the March 18 operation, including which military forces controlled the drone at the time of the attacks. At the time of publication, neither government had responded.

“There were screams, blood and bodies everywhere on the floor.”

Amnesty International found that a total of five families of the Gorgaarte clan were affected by the two attacks on Jaffey Farm.

Maalim Adan Hussein Hassan Adow, a 49-year-old farmer, lost his wife Asli Buule Hassan, 40; his son Dahir Maalim Adan, 14; and his two daughters Ishwaq Maalim Adan, seven, and Asma Maalim Adan, six. His two nephews, Abdi Ibrahim Duqow, seven, and Salah Ibrahim Duqow, nine, were also killed. His 30-year-old sister, Fadumo Hussein Hassan Adow, suffered a head injury and later died at Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu.

Maalim Adan Hussein Hassan Adow said he could not understand why his family was targeted. He told Amnesty International: “My wife, three children and two nephews were all killed in the first farm strike. I was in Afgoye at the time. I immediately received a call from my relatives. For safety reasons, a night trip was not possible. The following morning I left for Baghdad.

“I identified the bodies of my wife and children at the crime scene. My wife and children were buried in a mass grave in Gaalgube village, while my nephews were buried in Alifow village. I don’t know why my family was targeted during the holy month of Ramadan. My heart is broken.”

I don’t know why my family was targeted during the holy month of Ramadan. my heart is broken

Maalim Adan Hussein Hassan Adow, whose wife and three children were killed

Ismail Ali Deerey, a 37-year-old farmer, and his son Sadam Ismail Ali Deerey, nine years old, were also killed. His wife, two daughters, two sons and nephew were injured and treated in hospitals in Mogadishu.

Mohamed Ali Deerey, Ismail’s older brother, told Amnesty International: “I was in the village of Alifow. We heard a deafening bang. Shortly afterwards, I received news that my brother Ismail had been hit by a drone strike. My son and I rushed to the farm. As we reached the farm, another (explosion) targeted us, covering the area in a cloud of dust.

“The scene was chaotic. There were screams, blood and corpses all over the floor. I fortunately survived, but my 22-year-old son, Ali Mohamed Ali Deerey, who was with me, was seriously injured in the back… My brother Ismail and his son were brutally killed.”

A relative of another family who lost six people, including three children, said: “I am horrified by what happened to my relatives. That’s inhuman. This is a massacre.”

The Somali government has a history of failing to provide reparations to civilian casualties of military operations or to require reparations from foreign actors involved in unlawful attacks. It is also known to ignore violations against marginalized communities such as the Gorgaarte clan.

An elder from the Gorgaarte clan said: “We feel neglected and unheard as no one advocates for us or enters into dialogue with us.” There was no explanation for the actions taken against my people, no follow-up investigations and no offer of condolences. Our priority is to obtain information about why this tragic event occurred. We also need compensation for the losses suffered.”

background

The armed conflict between the Government of Somalia and Al-Shabaab continues to have a devastating impact on the country’s civilian population, with all parties to the conflict committing serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Amnesty International has documented a series of airstrikes by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) that have killed and injured Somali civilians, many as a result of flagrant violations of international humanitarian law. On April 5, Amnesty International wrote to AFRICOM asking whether US forces were involved in the March 18 operation against Al-Shabaab. However, they did not respond at the time of publication.