ELBUH, Somalia — Relatives of Somali elder Omar Abdillahi Abdi have built a small memorial where he was killed in a U.S. drone strike.
Abdi died Sept. 13 when three missiles struck his vehicle on a remote road between Elbuh and Badhan, in northeastern Somalia. He was driving alone.
Neighbors who arrived at the scene found his car engulfed in flames. “He was gone before we could even understand what happened,” a witness said.
U.S. Africa Command described Abdi as a “weapons dealer for al-Shabab,” a claim rejected by both his family and the militant group.
Abdi’s brother, Ali Abdullahi Abdi, called the strike a “cold-blooded killing.” “Our brother was a man of peace, not a terrorist,” he said.
The family built a roadside memorial with Abdi’s photo, twisted metal from the car and a painted drone image. Villagers visit daily to pray.
Locals question how U.S. forces obtained intelligence for the strike. Human rights advocates have called for accountability for civilian casualties in Somalia.
