Mogadiscio 1993: La chute du faucon noir

As someone who has endured the horrors of civil war in Eastern Africa, I can attest that war is a grim, complex reality, never simply black and white. The so-called "good" side often commits atrocities too-Ukrainian drones targeting surrendered Russian soldiers, American bombers devastating Tokyo in WWII, the Allied destruction of Dresden, or Israeli actions in Gaza. The list is endless.

To label the Americans who intervened to aid starving Somalis as evil is foolish. Similarly, branding Somalis who turned hostile after losing loved ones in crossfire as villains is arrogant and naive.

The best path forward is to learn from our mistakes and embrace forgiveness. We've done this effectively in other areas-improving nuclear safety after Chernobyl or implementing the Halo in F1 after tragic accidents. War demands the same reflection and growth.

More than 30 years after the Battle of Mogadishu, Surviving Black Hawk Down revisits one of the most harrowing military engagements in modern history. This documentary offers a raw, unflinching look at the events of October 3-4, 1993, when elite US Army Rangers and Delta Force soldiers found themselves trapped in an urban warzone, facing overwhelming opposition from Somali militiamen and civilians. While the film succeeds in immersing viewers in the chaos and brutality of that day, it falls short in fully honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

One of the documentary's greatest strengths is its ability to capture the sheer intensity of the battle. Through interviews with surviving soldiers and those on the ground in Mogadishu, Surviving Black Hawk Down reconstructs the mission with a visceral immediacy that makes it impossible to look away. The testimonies from US veterans are particularly moving, as they recount moments of extreme courage, terror, and loss. These firsthand accounts provide an unfiltered glimpse into what it was like to fight in the narrow streets of Mogadishu, with little chance of escape and no certainty of survival.

The documentary also brings in voices from the Somali side, offering an attempt at balance. However, while some interviewees provide valuable context on the situation in Somalia at the time, others appear bitter and devoid of empathy for the American soldiers who were caught in the crossfire. The lack of reflection or acknowledgment of the human cost on both sides makes it difficult to fully connect with their perspectives. This contrast between the deeply emotional accounts from US veterans and the often cold, detached responses from some Somali participants creates an emotional divide that the film does not quite reconcile.

While the documentary does a strong job of recounting the battle itself, it stumbles when it comes to properly honouring those who died. One glaring omission is the lack of a tribute to the US soldiers who lost their lives. A simple list of names at the end of the film would have been a powerful way to acknowledge their sacrifice, yet no such recognition is given. This feels like a missed opportunity, especially for a film that sets out to tell the story of survival and loss.

Similarly, one of the most extraordinary acts of bravery during the battle-the heroic defense of downed Black Hawk pilot Michael Durant-receives shockingly little attention. Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, both Delta Force operators, volunteered to be dropped into a hostile area to protect Durant, fully aware that they were likely sacrificing their lives. Their actions earned them the Medal of Honor, yet the documentary barely touches on their story. There are no photographs, no in-depth discussion of their heroism, and no real effort to ensure their legacy is remembered. Given the gravity of their sacrifice, this omission is particularly disappointing.

Despite its shortcomings, Surviving Black Hawk Down remains a powerful and necessary documentary. It sheds light on an often-overlooked chapter of military history, reminding us of the brutal realities of war and the resilience of those who endure it. The storytelling is compelling, and the accounts from US veterans are deeply moving. However, the film's reluctance to fully honour the fallen and its sometimes one-sided portrayal of Somali perspectives hold it back from being a definitive retelling of the battle.

For those familiar with Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001), this documentary serves as a crucial companion piece, providing the real-life voices behind the dramatized events. However, it could have been so much more. With a stronger focus on honouring the fallen and a more nuanced exploration of both sides of the conflict, Surviving Black Hawk Down could have cemented itself as an essential historical documentary. As it stands, it is gripping and thought-provoking-but it leaves a sense of unfinished business, much like the battle itself.

I've long awaited this since I've seen it advertised, especially from the Somali perspective. I knew going into it, especially with said perspective, that there will be a lot of angry Somalis who have inevitably been mislead into believing propaganda that exists even to this day.

This documentary series leaves out a LOT of context, especially related to why the U. S. was even there.

Here's just some of the stuff it leaves out:

1. Hostility by locals to the UN mission, and attacks that occurred resulting in the deaths of 30 peacekeepers months before hand. 25 were Pakistani, 5 were American and 2 were Italian.

2. Aidid was originally on good terms with the UN / US, until the UN prevented him and his militia from stealing food aid to starve out his opposition and feed his growing army. As time wore on and he further weaponized starvation, a ICC warrant was issued for his arrest.

3. The reason for distrust among US / UN soldiers about Somali locals, which were a series of bombings committed by militia that blended in with the local population.

4. Women and children were in fact involved in the fighting, though the number of casualties of combatant women and children is unclear to this day. Old clips recorded at the time even show women / children with AK-47 rifles and RPGs, and reports of this were corroborated by other UN soldiers present in the area at the time. This event had a HUGE influence on the rules of engagement involving civilians during later conflicts such as the Iraq war, and influenced urban battle doctrine.

5. The involvement of the Malaysians and Pakistani troops in the rescue convoy.

Originally during Operation Restore Hope, the US had very limited involvement, as many Americans back home did not want to become entangled in yet another war. Somalia is not resource rich, and even to this day we have limited diplomatic involvement with it. The war is still going on to this day.

The documentary seems to unfairly paint the US as the agitator, despite the fact that Somali fighters were firing widely and launching RPGs in densely populated areas. Many civilians were killed during the Durant crash, which further caused anger among civilians, civilians who fail to realize that it was their own people who shot down the helicopter over a densely populated area. This is part of why the US is very hesitant to get involved in humanitarian issues abroad, as despite our intentions the local population never seems to be thankful and would take the word of a tyrannical warlord over us. There was outrage when we ended our involvement in Somalia in 1995 as well.

Ultimately it's a good documentary, but leaves out a lot of history and doesn't really add anything new to the story that can't be found in other documentaries, short of civilians and fighters who are always going to minimize their culpability, the only one being remotely thankful is the women who's house they had to use as shelter.

As Episode 1 of "Surviving Black Hawk Down" (2025 release; 3 episodes ranging 47 to 56 min) opens, David, an Army Ranger who was there when it happened, sits down and starts talking into the camera. We then go back to "October 3, 1993" as the Army Rangers and Delta Force are getting ready to head out into Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, for another daring mission. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from director Jack MacInnes ("Leaving Afghanistan"). More importantly, this is produced by Ridley Scott Associates Production. Ridley Scott is of course the director of the well-received 2001 movie "Black Hawk Down". This documentary mini-series covers the same ground, but in greater detail, and with on-camera interviews of plenty of people who lived through these events, both from the US side and from the Somali side. Best of all is that the producers tracked down a Somali who calls himself a "war cameraman", and who videotaped a LOT. On paper, all of this sounds pretty enticing, but now having seen these 3 episodes (in a single setting), there is a major setback, namely the countless reenactments that are peppered throughout this mini-series. I am in general not a fan of reenactments in documentaries, but here it is even worse as most of them are filmed with handheld cameras, resulting in a non-stop barrage of shaky footage that resulted into a headache for me towards the end of this mini-series. It's like you are in the middle of the boxing ring, and absorbing the blow-by-blow account as if you are there yourself. I felt exhausted by the time Episode 3 concluded.

"Surviving Black Hawk Down" started streaming on Netflix a few days ago. If you are a fan of the 2001 Black Hawk Down movie, or simply interested in a slice of geopolitics, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I was hopeful that this would accurately portray what occurred in providing both context and accurate definitions of those involved in this battle. I found that as other reviewers did, this series lacked an accurate portrayal of the events leading up to the battle, and somehow portraying the Somalis involved as sympathetic. Without any explanation of why Aidad clan was involved in the first place we are left to conclude that the Americans were the butchers. There is no or perhaps very little explanation as to why we are involved in the first place, jumping from American peacekeeping to American Aggression. There are definite good guys and bad guys in this story, but the series chooses to ignore the actions of the warlord Aidad or for all practical purposes hide it. This reminds me of Michael Moore's attempt to describe Iraqi Islamists as "minutemen." This series borders on being a farce as a "documentary."