Michael Woldemariam

Assistant Professor of International Relations and Political Science, BU Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University

Schools

  • Boston University

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Biography

Boston University

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 in the Horn of Africa, and has conducted fieldwork in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somaliland, South Africa, and India.

His dissertation and book project, titled _“Why Rebels Collide: Factionalism and Fragmentation in African Insurgencies” _investigates a common feature of civil wars: the fragmentation of rebel organizations into mutually exclusive, competing groups. The project is based on a comprehensive analysis of Ethiopia’s civil wars and original data on patterns of rebel fragmentation across post-colonial Africa.

Woldemariam has been a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a Bradley fellow, and a research specialist with the Innovations for Successful Societies program at Princeton University.

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Cases

Top Somali Politician Steps Down, Avoiding Showdown With President

April 9, 2018

The New York Times Michael Woldemariam The speaker of Somalia’s Parliament resigned on Monday ahead of a no-confidence vote, sparing the country a repeat of the armed standoff last week that threatened to descend into violence… Expert quote: “There has been gridlock within central government institutions going back four or five years, and constant feuding […]

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Old Game, New Stakes: How the Gulf Crisis Could Reshape the Horn of Africa

August 2, 2017

World Politics Review by Michael Woldemariam, Pardee School of Global Studies/ College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences “When a group of four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia launched a dramatic diplomatic gambit by severing ties with Qatar in early June, the crisis immediately commanded the world’s attention…” View full article.   

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An Olympic protest is the least of Ethiopia’s worries

August 24, 2016

Chicago Tribune Michael Woldemariam, Pardee School of Global Studies, College of Arts & Sciences When Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa neared the finish line in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday and crossed his hands above his head, it wasn’t to celebrate the Olympic medal he was about to win… Expert quote: “Political liberalization comes with some […]

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Key U.S. Africa Ally Faces Further Unrest After Scores Killed

August 10, 2016

Bloomberg Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences, Pardee School of Global Studies Ethiopia, a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamist militants in East Africa, faces the prospect of further unrest after a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations held by its two largest communities over the weekend that Amnesty International said left 97 people […]

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Observers See Several Motives for Eritrean Involvement in Yemen

January 10, 2016

Voice of America Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences, Pardee School of Global Studies The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen is drawing in participants from across the Red Sea… Expert quote: “There’s a lot we don’t know about what this cooperation looks like, what the arrangements look like. But from […]

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Ethiopian Opposition Leader Travels to Eritrea to Lead Rebellion

July 24, 2015

Bloomberg Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences, Pardee School of Global Studies The leader of a U.S.-based Ethiopian opposition group relocated to Eritrea to organize civil and armed resistance against the government in the capital, Addis Ababa, a movement spokesman said… Expert quote: “The situation is volatile, and the potential for heightened conflict is […]

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Why Ethiopian migrants brave illegal crossings again – and again

June 18, 2015

Christian Science Monitor Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences, Pardee School of Global Studies Among the young Ethiopian entrepreneurs idly sipping coffee near their shops in Addis Ababa, Tariku Temesgen stands out as the joker… View full article quoting expert Michael Woldemariam

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Al-Shabaab attacks Garissa University in Kenya

April 2, 2015

NECN Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences View video of expert Michael Woldemariam

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Somalia: Majority of capital residents surveyed feel safer than in 2013

February 23, 2015

Christian Science Monitor Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences After decades of war and failed attempts by international actors to establish peace and create a working administration, the political situation in Somalia seems to be improving… Expert quote: “Things are better than they were. Mogadishu is making a comeback. People are buying land … […]

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Ethiopia ‘ruthlessly targeted’ Oromo ethnic group, report finds

October 28, 2014

Al Jazeera America Michael Woldemariam, College of Arts & Sciences Ethiopia has “ruthlessly targeted” and tortured thousands of people belonging to its largest ethnic group for perceived opposition to the government, rights group Amnesty International said in a report released Tuesday… Expert quote: “The report tends to confirm the claims that diaspora-based Oromo activists have been making for some […]

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