Ali Abdullatif Ahmida

Ali Abdullatif Ahmida is a Professor and former founding Chair (2000–2014) of the Department of Political Science at the University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, USA. Born in Waddan, Libya, he holds degrees from Cairo University and the University of Washington. His expertise spans political theory, comparative politics, and historical sociology, with a focus on power dynamics, agency, genocide, and anti-colonial resistance in North Africa, particularly modern Libya.

Dr. Ahmida’s research critically examines colonial and postcolonial histories, especially Italian colonization in Libya, and its legacy of violence and historical amnesia. His work bridges academic disciplines, addressing themes such as state formation, resistance movements, and the intersection of culture and politics in the Maghrib region. Notable publications include The Making of Modern Libya (1994), Forgotten Voices: Power and Agency in Colonial and Postcolonial Libya (2005), and Genocide in Libya (2021), which won the 2022 L. Carl Brown Book Prize from AIMS.

His scholarship emphasizes marginalized voices and the socio-political structures shaping North African societies. Recent work explores Libya’s post-revolution fragmentation, the long-term impacts of colonialism, and the global implications of local struggles during the Great War era. He is currently authoring a biography of Omar al-Mukhtar, a symbol of Libyan resistance against Italian fascism.

Dr. Ahmida’s career reflects a commitment to interdisciplinary research and critical engagement with colonial histories. His writings challenge dominant narratives, advocating for nuanced understandings of power, identity, and resistance in both historical and contemporary contexts.