Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
Encyclopedia
Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali is a Somali
economist and politician. He is the Prime Minister
of Somalia
.
region in northeastern Somalia. He holds both Somali and American citizenship.
He is multilingual, being fluent in Somali
, Arabic
, Italian
and English
.
Ali is married to Dr. Hodan Isse, a University of Buffalo
Economics professor and founder of HEAL, a Buffalo
-based NGO. The couple have four children.
, Somalia's capital. In 1984, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the Somali National University, graduating with highest honors.
Ali later relocated to the United States
for post-graduate studies. In 1988, he obtained a Master's degree
from Vanderbilt University
as an AFGRAD Fellow of Economics. Between 1994-1995 and 1995-1998, he was a Bradley Fellow in George Mason University
's Department of Economics and Center for Study of Public Choice, respectively. In 1998-1999, Ali was a Joel Fellow of Political Economy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
, where he earned a Certificate of Taxation from Harvard Law School
in 1999 and a Master's degree in Public administration the same year. In 2000, he also obtained a Ph.D.
in Economics from George Mason University.
From 1993 to 1998, Ali was an Adjunct Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Science and Public Service of Northern Virginia Community College
in Alexandria, Virginia
. Between 1998 and 1999, he was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Institute for International Development
(HIID).
In the 2000s, Ali worked as a Research and Forecast Manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
He later moved to Niagara County
in New York
state, where he was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Commerce of Niagara University
, having joined the school in 2003.
Ali also served as a consultant for various international organizations, including the World Bank
and the United Nations Development Program.
His main academic areas of concentration have been in public finance, public choice and international trade. Ali's current research endeavors have centered around the impact that institutions have on economic growth.
A prolific author, Ali has written articles for many peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Business and Economics Research, International Advances in Economic Research, and the Journal of Public Choice. In 2001, a paper of his titled Political stability, stable economic policies and growth: An empirical investigation that was published in the Atlantic Economic Journal was awarded the year's Best Article Award.
Ali is also an active member of various economic organizations, including the International Atlantic Economic Society, the American Economic Association
and the Southern Economic Association
.
of Somalia
after Prime Minister Mohamed abruptly resigned from office as part of a controversial agreement signed in Kampala
between the President and the Parliament Speaker. A few days later, on June 23, 2011, Ali was named permanent Prime Minister.
Lawmakers welcomed Ali's nomination and reaffirmed their opposition to and intention of repealing the Kampala Accord.
In a session held on June 28, 2011, Members of Parliament overwhelmingly approved Ali's appointment as Prime Minister. 337 of the MPs endorsed the selection, while 2 voted against it and 2 abstained.
On July 23, 2011, Parliament unanimously endorsed Prime Minister Ali's selection of new Cabinet officials. The ministerial posts were expanded to include an additional 9 state ministers and 26 deputy ministers, bringing a total of 53 federal ministers.
In October 2011, a coordinated operation between the Somalian military
and the Kenyan military referred to as Linda Nchi
began, with Kenyan troops crossing the border into southern Somalia in pursuit of Al-Shabaab militants that are alleged to have kidnapped several foreign tourists and workers inside Kenya. Prime Minister Ali along with President of Somalia Sharif Ahmed
initially opposed the deployment of Kenyan troops into the country, as they felt it was a breach of an earlier joint defence pact reached with the Kenyan government that limited Kenya's support to logistical activities. On October 31, a Somalian delegation led by Prime Minister Ali met in Nairobi
with the Kenyan Premier Raila Odinga
and other government officials to iron out differences and to outline a joint strategy vis-a-vis Operation Linda Nchi. After lengthy talks, the delegations issued a joint communique pledging coordinated military, political and diplomatic support for the mission, requesting that AMISOM peacekeepers police areas captured from Al-Shabaab, and that the International Criminal Court
(ICC) begin formal investigations against the group's commanders. In addition, Prime Minister Ali urged the international community to support the joint operation, and stated that the mission "would be led by Somali forces with support of Kenyan forces". The two delegations also formed a joint "high-level co-ordinating committee" to maintain regular contacts between their respective governments.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
economist and politician. He is the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Somalia
This page contains a list of the Prime Ministers of Somalia.-Prime Ministers of Somalia :-Affiliations:*SYL - Somali Youth League*SNL - Somali National League...
of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
Personal life
Ali is originally from the autonomous PuntlandPuntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
region in northeastern Somalia. He holds both Somali and American citizenship.
He is multilingual, being fluent in Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Ali is married to Dr. Hodan Isse, a University of Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
Economics professor and founder of HEAL, a Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
-based NGO. The couple have four children.
Education
Ali was educated in various universities around the world, but initially studied in MogadishuMogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia's capital. In 1984, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the Somali National University, graduating with highest honors.
Ali later relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for post-graduate studies. In 1988, he obtained a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
as an AFGRAD Fellow of Economics. Between 1994-1995 and 1995-1998, he was a Bradley Fellow in George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
's Department of Economics and Center for Study of Public Choice, respectively. In 1998-1999, Ali was a Joel Fellow of Political Economy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he earned a Certificate of Taxation from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1999 and a Master's degree in Public administration the same year. In 2000, he also obtained a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Economics from George Mason University.
General
In a professional capacity, Ali served as a Director in the Excise Tax Department of Somalia's federal Ministry of Finance and Revenue in the mid-to-late 1980s. Between 1988 and 1991, he was an Assistant Director in Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Finance and Revenue.From 1993 to 1998, Ali was an Adjunct Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Science and Public Service of Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College, often abbreviated NVCC and colloquially as NOVA, comprises several locations in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., and is both the second largest multi-campus community college in the United States and the largest educational institution in the...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. Between 1998 and 1999, he was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Institute for International Development
Harvard Institute for International Development
The Harvard Institute for International Development was a think-tank dedicated to helping nations join the global economy, operating between 1974 and 2000...
(HIID).
In the 2000s, Ali worked as a Research and Forecast Manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
He later moved to Niagara County
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state, where he was an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Commerce of Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, having joined the school in 2003.
Ali also served as a consultant for various international organizations, including the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and the United Nations Development Program.
His main academic areas of concentration have been in public finance, public choice and international trade. Ali's current research endeavors have centered around the impact that institutions have on economic growth.
A prolific author, Ali has written articles for many peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Business and Economics Research, International Advances in Economic Research, and the Journal of Public Choice. In 2001, a paper of his titled Political stability, stable economic policies and growth: An empirical investigation that was published in the Atlantic Economic Journal was awarded the year's Best Article Award.
Ali is also an active member of various economic organizations, including the International Atlantic Economic Society, the American Economic Association
American Economic Association
The American Economic Association, or AEA, is a learned society in the field of economics, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. It publishes one of the most prestigious academic journals in economics: the American Economic Review...
and the Southern Economic Association
Southern Economic Association
Chief Honourable Akeem Musa Maluda was appointed Executive Chairperson of the Nigerian Anti-crime force unit in September 2004. he succeeded Rashida Abdulahi in this post.-Background:...
.
Transitional Federal Government
On June 12, 2010, Ali was appointed Somalia's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation as well as one of several Deputy Prime Ministers. Selected for the position by the former Premier Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, he served as an integral part of a well-regarded technocratic Cabinet.Appointment
On June 19, 2011, Ali was appointed the Acting PremierPrime Minister of Somalia
This page contains a list of the Prime Ministers of Somalia.-Prime Ministers of Somalia :-Affiliations:*SYL - Somali Youth League*SNL - Somali National League...
of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
after Prime Minister Mohamed abruptly resigned from office as part of a controversial agreement signed in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
between the President and the Parliament Speaker. A few days later, on June 23, 2011, Ali was named permanent Prime Minister.
Lawmakers welcomed Ali's nomination and reaffirmed their opposition to and intention of repealing the Kampala Accord.
In a session held on June 28, 2011, Members of Parliament overwhelmingly approved Ali's appointment as Prime Minister. 337 of the MPs endorsed the selection, while 2 voted against it and 2 abstained.
On July 23, 2011, Parliament unanimously endorsed Prime Minister Ali's selection of new Cabinet officials. The ministerial posts were expanded to include an additional 9 state ministers and 26 deputy ministers, bringing a total of 53 federal ministers.
Policy initiatives
On July 4, 2011, in one of his first policy initiatives, Prime Minister Ali appointed a national committee to tackle the severe drought affecting large parts of the country. The committee consists of several federal-level members of government, including the Ministers of Defense, Health, Interior, Finance, Public Works, Women's Affairs and Information. It is tasked with assessing and addressing the needs of the drought-impacted segments of the population.In October 2011, a coordinated operation between the Somalian military
Military of Somalia
The Military of Somalia was, up until 1991, made up of the army, navy, air force, and air defense command. The outbreak of the Somali Civil War during that year led to the de facto dissolution of the national armed forces. However, efforts to re-establish a regular armed force by a re-constituted...
and the Kenyan military referred to as Linda Nchi
Operation Linda Nchi
Operation Linda Nchi is the codename for a coordinated military operation between the Somalian military, the Kenyan military, the Ethiopian military, the French military, and allegedly the United States military that began on an unspecified date in mid-October 2011, when troops from Kenya crossed...
began, with Kenyan troops crossing the border into southern Somalia in pursuit of Al-Shabaab militants that are alleged to have kidnapped several foreign tourists and workers inside Kenya. Prime Minister Ali along with President of Somalia Sharif Ahmed
Sharif Ahmed
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is the current President of Somalia and former Commander in Chief of the Islamic Courts Union .-Biography:...
initially opposed the deployment of Kenyan troops into the country, as they felt it was a breach of an earlier joint defence pact reached with the Kenyan government that limited Kenya's support to logistical activities. On October 31, a Somalian delegation led by Prime Minister Ali met in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
with the Kenyan Premier Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga
Raila Amollo Odinga , also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads,...
and other government officials to iron out differences and to outline a joint strategy vis-a-vis Operation Linda Nchi. After lengthy talks, the delegations issued a joint communique pledging coordinated military, political and diplomatic support for the mission, requesting that AMISOM peacekeepers police areas captured from Al-Shabaab, and that the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICC) begin formal investigations against the group's commanders. In addition, Prime Minister Ali urged the international community to support the joint operation, and stated that the mission "would be led by Somali forces with support of Kenyan forces". The two delegations also formed a joint "high-level co-ordinating committee" to maintain regular contacts between their respective governments.
Awards
- 2005-2006 Excellence in Research Award, College of Business Administration, Niagara University, May 2006.
- Best Paper Award, European Applied Business Research Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2004.
- 2003-2004 Excellence in Research Award, College of Business Administration, Niagara University, May 2004.
- 2001 Best Article Award, Atlantic Economic Journal, October 2002.
Refereed publications
- How robust is the effect of foreign aid on growth, with (Hodan Isse and Bill Peek), Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 20, pp. 4-14, Fall 2009 (Lead Article).
- The determinants of crime in Virginia: An empirical analysis (with Bill Peek), forthcoming in Contemporary Issues in Educational Research, Vol. 2 (4), pp. 1-11, 2009 (Lead Article).
- Is democracy a prerequisite for political stability? International Business and Economics Research Journal, October 2004, Vol. 3 (10), pp. 39-47, Won the Best Paper Award.
- Determinants of economic corruption: A cross-country comparison (with Hodan Isse), Cato Journal, Winter Issue 2003, Vol. 22 (3), pp. 449-64. Cited by 58.
- Institutional distortions, economic freedom and growth (with Mark Crain), Cato Journal, Winter Issue 2002, Vol. 21 (3), pp. 415-26. Cited by 63.
- Political regimes, economic freedom, institutions and growth (with Mark Crain), Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice, 2001, Vol. XIX (1), pp. 3-22, Lead Article. Cited by 13.
- Political stability, stable economic policies and growth: an empirical investigation, Atlantic Economic Journal, March Issue 2001, Vol. 29, pp. 87-106. Won the 2001 Best Article Award. Cited by 13
- Economic freedom, democracy and growth, Journal of Private Enterprise, 1997, vol. 13, pp. 1-20, Lead Article. Cited by 30.
Refereed conference proceedings
- Is Democracy a Prerequisite for Political Stability? (Won the Best Paper Award), European Applied Business Research Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, June 14-18, 2004.