Woldemariam in NYT on Resignation of Somali Politician
Michael Woldemariam, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was interviewed for an article on the resignation of the speaker of Somalia’s Parliament ahead of a no-confidence vote.
Woldemariam was interviewed for an April 9, 2018 article in The New York Times entitled “Top Somali Politician Steps Down, Avoiding Showdown With President.”
From the text of the article:
“There has been gridlock within central government institutions going back four or five years, and constant feuding at the center over a whole range of issues, including this balance of power,” said Michael Woldemariam, an assistant professor of international relations at Boston University. “Then there’s the broader issue of the legislature, and how much autonomy and influence it should have.”
“It’s absolutely the case that Al Shabab exploits a weak central government,” Mr. Woldemariam said, “but I also think the Shabab problem, and Shabab’s strength in the countryside, is driving some of the fragmentation we see within the Somali state.”
Woldemariam’s teaching and research interests focus on African politics, particularly the dynamics of armed conflict, the behavior of rebel organizations and self-determination movements, and post-conflict institution building. He has special expertise in the Horn of Africa, and has conducted fieldwork in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somaliland, South Africa, and India.