America’s Other Major War

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, US airstrikes in Somalia reached an all-time high this month. Having conducted more strikes in the last four months than it did under the Obama administration in 8 years, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has been ramping up its air military campaign in the east African country particularly since President Donald Trump took office.

The United States’ all-time record this year came even as the UN Secretary-General António Guterres repeatedly called for a global ceasefire amid the COVID-19 pandemic.“There should be only one fight in our world today, our shared battle against COVID-19,” Guterres said in early April. “We must mobilize every ounce of energy to defeat it.”