The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD) strongly condemns the horrific night raid carried out in May 2021 in Kaamjiroon, a well-populated outpost located approximately 75 kilometers from Kismayo. The operation reportedly involved Danab forces, Jubaland armed militias, and United States air support, including drone operations.
According to information documented by local human rights defenders and community sources, heavily armed forces allegedly carried out a nighttime raid on a pastoralist civilian household, resulting in the killing of seven members of the same family, including a 95-year-old grandmother, parents, and children. Several other children, including an infant, were critically injured.
Victims reported include; (Their ames & ages):
Xabiibo Cismaan Muxumed (95)
Axmed Salaad Xasan (45)
Bishaara Ibrahim Cismaan (39)
Cismaan Axmed Salaad (17)
Jecela Axmed Salaad (14)
Xamdi Axmed Salaad (12)
Cabdow Cismaan Cumar (36)
Critically injured survivors reported include; (Their names & ages):
Maxamed Axmed Salaad (19)
Fiican Axmed Salaad (10)
Ladan Axmed Salaad (8)
Fatuma Axmed Salaad (6)
Aden Axmed Salaad (4)
C/raxiin Axmed Salaad (infant)
According to New America, only this year, US has conducted 519 attacks and killed 135 civilians in total apart from this brutal massacre in Kaamjiroon. According to observers, US drone attacks on civilian areas in Somalia have increased exponentially since Trump took office.
Legal Assessment
CSHRD stresses that the Kaamjiroon night raid constitutes serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law, and customary international law, including:
Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (1949), which prohibits violence to life and person, including murder of civilians, in all circumstances of armed conflict.
Additional Protocol II, Article 13(2), which states that “the civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack.”
Additional Protocol I, Article 51(4–5), which prohibits indiscriminate attacks and requires strict observance of the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 6(1), which protects the inherent right to life and prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life.
Customary International Humanitarian Law, including Rule 1 (Distinction) and Rule 14 (Proportionality), which require parties to distinguish between civilians and combatants and prohibit attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm in relation to anticipated military advantage.
CSHRD Position
CSHRD emphasizes that night raids targeting civilian homes in populated pastoralist communities, particularly when resulting in the deaths of women, children, and the elderly, constitute grave breaches of international law.
The reported use of drone-assisted military operations in such contexts raises serious concerns regarding compliance with legal obligations to protect civilian life, ensure proportionality in the use of force, and prevent indiscriminate attacks.
Counterterrorism operations must never be used as a justification for collective punishment or indiscriminate violence against civilian populations.
Call for Action
CSHRD therefore calls for:
An immediate, independent, and impartial international investigation into the Kaamjiroon night raid;
Full accountability for all perpetrators, commanders, and parties involved;
Transparency regarding the role of foreign military support and drone operations;
Urgent medical, psychological, and humanitarian assistance for survivors;
Reparations and justice for the affected family and community.
CSHRD further urges the United Nations, the African Union, and international human rights mechanisms to ensure that alleged violations are thoroughly investigated and that accountability is enforced without delay.
Conclusion
The people of Somalia must not continue to bear the cost of operations conducted without adequate transparency, accountability, or civilian protection. Impunity for violations of international law undermines both justice and long-term peace.
CSHRD reaffirms its commitment to documenting violations, defending civilian lives, and advocating for accountability in all contexts of armed conflict.
CSHRD Human Rights Monitoring Team
For media inquiries, contact: info@cshrds.org