NAIROBI – Human Rights Watch warned on Friday that US military personnel redeploying to Somalia must prioritize civilian protection.
US Vice President Joe Biden signed an order on Monday reversing the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw nearly all 700 American soldiers from the East African state and redeploy them as part of a joint operation with the Somali government to combat Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda branch.
“US officials should be very clear on how forces will avoid harming Somali civilians during military operations,” said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at HRW.
“They will need to work closely with the Somali and African Union authorities to avoid repeating past laws of war violations and promptly and appropriately respond to civilian loss.”
According to HRW, previous American operations in Somalia not only resulted in the loss of life and property, but the US also failed to recognize or compensate for these losses.
US military operations in Somalia have been ongoing since at least 2007, although there was a significant surge in airstrikes in 2017 until the Trump administration authorized troop departures in late 2020.
Somalia’s new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the news that 500 US troops will be returning, according to Human Rights Watch, which also stated that Al-Shabab has continued to commit indiscriminate and targeted assaults on people and forcefully recruited minors.
Nonetheless, Bader stated that the return of US military forces must involve a course correction to guarantee that any complaints of civilian injury are taken seriously and investigated credibly.
“A culture of impunity for civilian loss breeds resentment and mistrust among the population and undermines efforts to build a more rights-respecting state,” she added.
“The US government recognizes the need to credibly investigate and compensate for civilian harm, but the military has yet to make this a reality.”
Source: Bolnews
