# Ahmed Ismail Samatar (Axmed Ismaaciil Samatar)

> Ahmed Ismail Samatar: Gabiley-born Macalester professor and founding editor of Bildhaan, the journal of Somali studies.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/ahmed-samatar/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Ahmed Ismail Samatar is a Somali writer and professor ([Wikipedia, Ahmed Samatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Samatar)). He is James Wallace Professor of International Studies at Macalester College ([Macalester College, faculty profile](https://www.macalester.edu/academics/internationalstudies/facultystaff/ahmedsamatar/)). This page covers his public and academic life.

## Early life

He was born and raised in Gabiley District ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Samatar)). He began with Qur'an school and was among the first pupils of the first Gabiley primary school (same source). He went on to Amoud intermediate school and an agricultural secondary school (same source). His brother is the geographer [Abdi Ismail Samatar](/en/people/abdi-samatar/) (same source).

## The broadcaster

In the mid-1960s he joined Radio Mogadishu as a broadcaster ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Samatar)). In the late 1960s he moved to the BBC African service in [London](/en/diaspora/london/), where he worked until the mid-1970s (same source). See [media in Somalia](/en/society/media-in-somalia/).

## Study and teaching

He earned a BA at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in 1978 ([Macalester](https://www.macalester.edu/academics/internationalstudies/facultystaff/ahmedsamatar/)). He took an MA in 1981 and a PhD in 1984 at the University of [Denver](/en/diaspora/denver/) (same source). He has lectured at Cornell, Harvard, the London School of Economics, the Somali National University and the [University of Hargeisa](/en/institutions/main-universities/), among others ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Samatar)). He is a Fulbright Fellow (same source).

## Bildhaan

He is the founding editor-in-chief of *Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies* ([Macalester](https://www.macalester.edu/academics/internationalstudies/facultystaff/ahmedsamatar/)). He also edited 28 volumes of *Macalester International* (same source). He was the founding dean of Macalester's Institute for Global Citizenship (same source).

## Books

His books include *Somalia: State Collapse, Multilateral Intervention, and Strategies for Political Reconstruction* (1995) and *The African State: Reconsiderations* (2002) ([Macalester](https://www.macalester.edu/academics/internationalstudies/facultystaff/ahmedsamatar/)). In 2021 he published *The Making of [Dahabshiil](/en/economy/hawala-and-money-transfer-companies/)*, on the company founded by [Mohamed Said Duale](/en/people/mohamed-said-duale/) (same source). *The Rise and Fall of Somali Nationalism* appeared in 2026 (same source).

## Public life

In 2016 he entered politics in Somaliland ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Samatar)). See [Somaliland, 1991 to 2026](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/).

## In short

A professor of international studies and founding editor of Bildhaan, a journal of Somali studies.

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