How an American bureaucrat became president of Somalia

An article in Politico Magazine features UB alumnus Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a Somali immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1988 and who was elected president of his native country on Feb. 8. The article quotes Donald Grinde, professor of transnational studies who was Mohamed’s thesis advisor at UB and said they discussed the different models of democratic governance, warlordism and religious extremism. “We had extensive conversations about developing countries that were authoritarian and what the steps were to achieve democracy,” he said. “He understands that democracy is an imperfect exercise, both in Somalia and the United States. But I think he would think it’s far better than the alternative.”

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http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/how-an-american-bureaucrat-became-president-of-somalia-214798