Written question asked by Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 22 July 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 July 2019 (named day). It was answered by Andrew Murrison (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Somalia: Military Intervention

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterparts on (a) the accuracy of its reporting of civilian casualties due to US drone strikes and (b) the lasting effect of US drone strikes on civilian populations in Somalia.

Answer: The Secretary of State will build on the work of his predecessor and continue to have regular engagement with his US counterpart on counter-terrorism activities. We have not sought to make an independent assessment of the accuracy or impact of US strikes in Somalia; this would be challenging, given the difficult security environment. The main cause of civilian casualties in Somalia is the insurgency and indiscriminate terrorist activity of Al-Shabaab. Support from the US and others to the Federal Government of Somalia's efforts to counter terrorism is critical to limiting Al-Shabaab's capability to inflict harm.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 280178
Session: 2017-19
Subjects: Casualties Civilians USA Somalia Military intervention Unmanned air systems
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk