Whose Story to Tell? Somalis React to New Black Hawk Down Documentary By Netflix

As Netflix prepares to release its upcoming docuseriesSurviving Black Hawk Down, reactions in Somalia and its diaspora — primarily online — have been strong.

The three-part documentary revisits the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, which stemmed from the deployment of U.S. troops to facilitate aid delivery after the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre's 21-year rule and the ensuing civil war that led to a devastating famine.

The conflict was cemented in pop culture psyche through Ridley Scott's 2001 war filmBlack Hawk Down, an adaption of Mark Bowden's 1999 bookBlack Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, which focused entirely on the plight of U.S. soldiers who lived through it.

The film received critical acclaim in the U.S. and won two Academy Awards, but it left Somalis frustrated, as many felt it ignored their perspective and dehumanized their people.

From the trailer, this new documentary appears to be different by including Somali voices — militiamen, civilians and journalists — who also lived through the ordeal, but many remain skeptical.

Since Surviving Black Hawk Down is produced by Ridley Scott Associates — the same company behind Black Hawk Down — some fear it will still frame the story primarily from an American perspective, again minimizing Somali agency in their own history.

Her sentiments echo broader frustrations among Somalis, who have long argued that the battle was not merely an ambush on American troops but a defense against foreign military intervention. The film did not explore why Somalis fought back.

"We told them repeatedly you'll be leaving here horizontally, or Somalia will be your graveyard if you don't leave," Najat continued in her X post. "No one believes America was there to 'deliver aid' — they were there to assist in the destruction of Somalia and enjoy the financial benefits of disaster capitalism. Nothing more, nothing less."

While Surviving Black Hawk Down is the latest attempt to revisit the battle, Somali narratives have been available. In 2023, Mohammed Abdi Elmi, a former special assistant to General Mohamed Farrah Aidid, released The Battle of Mogadishu, a book that chronicles the events from a Somali perspective.

Elmi saidhe wrote the book to help younger generations understand their country's history. "The book is simply an important piece of Somali history and a view of Black Hawk Down from the Somali perspective," he said at the book launch.

Come February 10, the world will watch to see if the new documentary delivers a more balanced and truthful retelling of history — or if it continues the Hollywood tradition of erasing the Somali perspective in this critical moment of the country's history.