A new Netflix docuseries is diving further into the deadly battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. Some may remember the conflict formed the basis of Ridley Scott’s 2001 feature film Black Hawk Down, which stars Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett and picked up two Academy Awards. Titled Surviving Black Hawk Down, the three-part series spotlights first-hand accounts from individuals on both sides of the conflict in “extraordinary detail” according to the description provided by the streaming giant.
“Surviving Black Hawk Down tells the gripping real story of the horror and heroism behind the events that inspired Ridley Scott’s blockbuster movie Black Hawk Down, blending raw, immersive storytelling with first-person interviews from both sides of the Battle of Mogadishu,” Netflix said in a synopsis of the docuseries. To learn more about the battle behind the series, what we can expect and where and when you can watch it, keep reading.
The series retells the story of the Battle of Mogadishu, which took place in Somalia in October 1993 and is widely known for the Black Hawk Down incident. Set against a backdrop of the Somali civil war which began two years prior, the United Nations deployed soldiers to the country in an attempt to try and restore a government. After being blamed for an attack on the Pakistani military that June, a manhunt began for Mohamed Farrah Aidid – the leader of the Somali National Alliance (a prominent faction formed by rebel groups). After raids and the deaths of Mogadishu residents in the search for Aidid, locals joined the opposition against UNOSOM II (the United Nations operation).
On October 3, with orders from then-President Bill Clinton, US forces carried out a raid to find two of Aidid’s top lieutenants, who were meeting in the city. The raid turned into a bloody battle, with 18 US soldiers killed and an estimated 130 – 700 Somalians killed. The day famously saw three American Black Hawk helicopters shot down by Somali forces. Survivors continued to fight on the ground, while the bodies of US fatalities were dragged through the streets by locals. After a night of fighting, the surviving soldiers were rescued the next day and UNISOM II withdrew for fear of further fatalities.
Although successful in capturing the targets, the battle saw the most US troops killed since the Vietnam War, with US forces pulling out of the operation six months later. The series speaks to survivors of the battle to shine a light on what happened. It features accounts by Black Hawk pilot Michael Durrant, who survived his helicopter being shot down, and others fighting on the UN force. In the trailer for the series, one seen describing the day as “the most violent thing I’ve ever witnessed”.
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