Woldemariam in FT on Reforms in Ethiopia
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 Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s promises for democratic reform despite a recent crackdown by government security forces.
Woldemariam was quoted in a September 26, 2018 article in the Financial Times entitled “Ethiopian Crackdown Clouds Premier’s Reform Agenda.“
From the text of the article:
“Abiy has done a lot to bring dissatisfied groups, factions and actors back into the political process, to normalise their status, and that has created a lot of optimism,” said Michael Woldemariam, an Ethiopia expert at Boston University.
“On the other hand, you’ve got a country with a long history of authoritarianism, with a very difficult history of ethnic politics and you’re almost taking the lid off a lot of those tensions,” he said.
Michael 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 on the Horn of Africa region, where he has traveled extensively and conducted fieldwork.