# Said Sheikh Samatar (Saciid Sheekh Samatar)

> Said Sheikh Samatar (1943–2015): Rutgers historian of Somalia and author of Oral Poetry and Somali Nationalism.

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

## Who was he?

Said Sheikh Samatar was a Somali scholar and writer ([Wikipedia, Said Sheikh Samatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Sheikh_Samatar)). He was a professor of history at Rutgers University–Newark ([Rutgers University–Newark, 2015](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)).

## A herder's childhood

He was born in 1943 in the Ogaden, a Somali-inhabited region of Ethiopia ([Rutgers](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)). He grew up among nomads. He later wrote of "seasons of plenty" and of droughts that brought hunger ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Sheikh_Samatar)). In 1958 his father, an Islamic magistrate, sent for him to start school in Qalaafo (same source). After fighting in 1963, he and his brothers became refugees in the [Somali Republic](/en/states/somali-republic-1960-1969/) (same source).

## Study in America

In 1970 he worked at the National Teaching College in Somalia ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Sheikh_Samatar)). A scholarship took him to Goshen College in Indiana (same source). He worked as a welder by day to support his family and studied early and late ([Rutgers](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)). He earned a PhD in African history at Northwestern University in 1979 (same source).

## Scholar of Somalia

He joined Rutgers in 1981 ([Rutgers](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)). In 1982 Cambridge University Press published *[Oral Poetry and Somali Nationalism](/en/books/oral-poetry-and-somali-nationalism-samatar/)* (same source). It studied the poetry of [Sayid Mohamed Abdullah Hassan](/en/people/sayid-maxamed-cabdulle-xasan/) (same source). With David Laitin he wrote *Somalia: Nation in Search of a State* in 1987 (same source). He edited the journal *The Horn of Africa* for about 25 years (same source). See [Somali poetry](/en/society/somali-poetry/).

## Explaining Somalia to the world

In 1992 he worked as a consultant and interpreter for ABC's *Nightline* in Somalia ([Rutgers](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)). He spoke on the BBC, CBS, CNN International and PBS (same source). He was an early member of the Somali Studies International Association ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Sheikh_Samatar)).

## Death

He died on 24 February 2015, two weeks after a fall ([Rutgers](https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-mourns-loss-dr-said-samatar-longtime-history-professor-scholar-authority-somalia)). His daughter is the writer [Sofia Samatar](/en/people/sofia-samatar/) (same source). Rutgers leaders called him "a true friend to his colleagues" (same source). They said his advice was "freely given with candor", often with humour (same source).

## In short

A historian who studied Somali poetry as a historical source and taught at Rutgers University.

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