Monday October 6, 2025
Ceel Buh, Sanaag (HOL) — The residents of Ceel Buh district
in Sanaag region gathered on Sunday for a somber prayer and mourning ceremony,
demanding justice and answers after the killing of a prominent clan elder, Caaqil Omar
Abdullahi Cali, who died in a U.S. airstrike last month.
The elder, widely known as Caaqil Omar, was killed on
September 13 in Jicanyo, near Ceel Buh district, in what the U.S. Africa
Command (AFRICOM) later described as a strike targeting an al-Shabab weapons
dealer. AFRICOM did not identify the person killed, but local officials say the
timing and location of the strike match the one in which Omar was killed — a
man they describe as a lifelong peacemaker, not a militant.
Elders, religious leaders, and local officials joined
hundreds of mourners, all calling for an independent investigation into the
incident and for the United States to publicly clarify who authorized the
strike.
“He was the general peacemaker of the Somali nation, especially
in Sanaag,” said Abdiasis Mahmoud Abdisalan Sultan Mahmoud Ali Shire. “He was a
man of peace, not one bound by clan or personal interest. His last act was
mediating a tribal dispute. We want him to receive the justice he deserves.”
Ceel Buh District Commissioner Mohamed Ahmed Ali Salad
described Omar’s death as an “unjust political assassination.”
“Caaqil Omar was not a member of al-Shabab or ISIS,” the
commissioner said. “If he were suspected of wrongdoing, he could have been
arrested. Instead, he was bombed. We demand the U.S. and those responsible
explain why they killed him.”
Other community leaders repeated the sentiment, accusing
AFRICOM of targeting the prominent elder in the community.
“He was not an extremist or a weapons dealer,” said elder
Kun Laq. “He was a respected man known for resolving conflicts. If he had done
something wrong, we would have been the first to hold him accountable.”
Religious figures condemned the strike as an assault on
peace and local culture. Sheikh Ali Mahdi Sheikh Ahmed Hassan said the
community had never witnessed such an incident in their region.
“This is a peaceful area,” he said. “Elder Omar was a
cultural leader and a man of religion. We await justice and evidence from the
governments involved.”
Puntland security official also condemned the attack.
Colonel Mustafa Said, commander of the Puntland Dervish Army stationed in the
region, dismissed any claims linking the elder to terrorism.
“The chief was not a terrorist,” the colonel said. “He was
killed through political arrogance and misinformation. We call on the United
States to tell us why a peaceful man was targeted with a missile.”
Women relatives of the deceased wept as they joined the
calls for accountability. One mother declared, “Let it take 70 years — we will
still seek justice. Let the U.S. explain why they killed Omar.” Another woman
lamented that “the same foreign forces who came here to bring peace are bombing
those who already live it.”
The U.S. Africa Command maintains that its September 13
operation targeted an al-Shabab weapons dealer, saying the strike “did not
injure or kill civilians.” However, the absence of transparency over the
victim’s identity has fueled anger and suspicion among the residents of Ceel
Buh.