"The Politics of Piracy in Somalia" by Abdi SamatarOctober 7, 2013 at 7–8:30 p.m.

African Studies presents, "The Politics of Piracy in Somalia" by Abdi Samatar.

Dr. Samatar is a professor at the University of Minnesota in Geography, Environment and Society.

"My research focuses on the relationship between democracy and development in the Third World in general and Africa in particular. At the moment, I am looking at the the link between democratic leadership, public institutions, and development in East and South Africa. Other themes in my research include Islam, social capital and ethnicity in the Horn of Africa, and environment and development. Finally, a general thread in my research is how national public institutions enable people in developing countries tap opportunity in the global capitalist economy and avoid its cruel traps."