Badhan, Somalia – Sept. 17, 2025
A U.S. drone strike that killed clan elder Omar Abdullahi Abdi in El Buh, Sanaag, is fueling outrage after Washington admitted the attack was carried out “in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.”
The Pentagon claimed the Sept. 13 strike targeted an al-Shabaab weapons dealer. Locals call that a lie, describing Abdi as a peaceful mediator with no militant ties. “The Americans fired the missile, but Mogadishu gave them the green light,” said one grieving resident.
Somalia’s federal leaders have offered no proof and no apology, even as opposition figures demand an independent investigation into what they call a shameful betrayal of Somali lives.
Human-rights groups warn the strike exposes a dangerous pattern of secret U.S.–Somali operations carried out without transparency or accountability.
