Somalia: Türkiye Drone Strikes and Rising Civilian Casualties

Future Security Senior Policy Analyst David Sterman's blog post "An Alleged Turkish Strike in Somalia Emphasizes the Challenge of Tracking Strikes in Somalia’s Crowded Battlefield" was cited in an article in The Elephant on Turkish strikes in Somalia:

The expanding role of countries like Türkiye in drone operations also makes it harder to assess and attribute the impact on civilians from such strikes. Data on Somalia released by Airwars, a transparency watchdog that tracks and investigates civilian harm caused by US forces, shows a surge in drone strikes in Somalia in 2023, with the number of such incidents increasing from previous years. This increase is primarily in the category of alleged strikes – those not officially acknowledged by the US or other actors. Unlike the United States, which has established various protocols and mechanisms intended to minimise civilian harm – such as post-strike assessments and compensation for affected families – Türkiye has yet to implement a comprehensive system to address the collateral damage resulting from its military support in Somalia.

Read the full article here.