Somalia
73 Articles

Legally Sliding into War
"We need to grapple with the legal mechanisms through which presidential administration after administration has legally justified escalating, elongating, and expanding conflicts…

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Feb. 19-26)
Increasing violence against civilians in South Sudan, Somalia; IAEA reaches temporary deal with Iran; human rights experts urge accountability at Guantanamo Bay. This and more…

Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy
Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…

Plan to Pull U.S. Troops from Somalia is Cold Comfort Amid Civilian Toll of Air War
AFRICOM insists its aim is to ‘degrade’ al-Shabaab. But the US military campaign is taking a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Investigation Highlights Transparency Need on US, UK Roles in Kenyan Counterterrorism
If true, the cases further spotlight the doublespeak by the US and the UK on accountability for security force abuses in Kenya.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (August 1-7)
(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

AFRICOM’s Improved Civilian Casualty Reporting System Still Leaves Gaps for Somalia
Only with more ways to submit reports and the proper followup can the U.S. military start to rebuild trust among communities harmed by its actions.

Toward a Consistent and Coherent Ex Gratia Policy for Civilian Casualties
The summer of 2017 was an extended nightmare for the Badrans. Over the course of several weeks, 39 members of Rasha Badran’s family, most of them women and children, were killed…

National Security at the United Nations This Week (May 15-22)
(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

The Fatal Flaw in DOD’s Latest Civilian Casualties Report
Lawmakers and even the Trump administration have increasingly expressed concern about the United States waging an “endless war,” and among those concerns is the impact on civilians…

Grading DOD’s Annual Civilian Casualties Report: “Incomplete”
The new information demonstrates how much progress the department has made and yet how much of a paradigm shift is still needed for full accountability.

Great Expectations: AFRICOM’s New Quarterly Report on Civilian Casualties
A look at circumstances under which civilian casualties may occur in Somalia, why the US military may be under-reporting the numbers, and what to do about it.