He has more than ten years of experience designing, leading, managing, and implementing humanitarian, peace, and security nexus programs that promote stability, community resilience, and peace in conflict-affected countries. From 2016 to 2023, Omar worked with IOM in both Somalia and South Sudan, implementing peace and security programs. Omar’s experience included Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR); Security Sector Reform (SSR); Youth Peace & Security (YPS); Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism (PCVE); community-oriented policing; migration and border management.

In 2019, with IOM, Omar was among the team leading the pioneering DDR programme, focusing on the rehabilitation and reintegration of women formerly associated with armed groups in Somalia. In South Sudan, he led the community policing portfolio, fostering collaboration between police and communities in the border areas. In his current role, with the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission (UNTMIS) in Somalia, he made significant contributions to the Somalia national Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism (PCVE) strategy (2024-2027).

His academic achievements include an MSc in Security Sector Management (SSM) from Cranfield University, UK, and an MA in Global Security and Strategy at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), UK.

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His experience concentrates on programs, projects, policies, and portfolios related to peacebuilding, conflict transformation, violent extremism, electoral violence, climate security, energy finance, and the involvement of marginalized communities through art, sports, and games across the Asia-Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa regions.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Governance and Masters of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies and Master of Art in Gender Studies and Master of Science in Governance, Peace and Security and a PhD candidate in Climate Change and Sustainability. Kidou has moreover undertaken specialized trainings in Environmental Quality and Monitoring and Analysis, Environmental Management, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Technology Applications, Energy Economics, Energy Systems and Environmental Impact, Legal Studies, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Strategic Management, and Mental Health.

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Paul is a Peace, Security and Justice professional with extensive experience in policy communication, research, design and implementation of Peace building, Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Stabilisation, Security Governance and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programmes. He has facilitated several DDR and Advanced Stabilisation courses across Peacekeeping Training Centres in Africa. He was lead expert on the team that convened the First DDR National Dialogue in Nigeria in collaboration with Office of the National Security Adviser to the President of Nigeria. Paul is Country Director International Alert, Nigeria. Prior to joining International Alert, he was Conflict Adviser at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Nigeria, DDR Expert-EU Africa Peace Facility, Community Management Specialist, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and taught Peace and Security Studies and conducted ground breaking research at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Paul has supported several Military Operations such as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Chad and International Organizations working in conflict contexts in a range of countries including Somalia, North-East-Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Sierra-Leone and Liberia. He strengthened the policy and institutional capacity of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Defector Rehabilitation Programme in Somalia on Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) and was part of the design of Strategic Communication Actions and Effects Framework to promote defections in Somalia.

Paul has a Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan, is an Alumnus of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and has attended several professional development courses across the world.

To read more about Paul Nyulaku, kindly visit: https://www.international-alert.org/staff/paul-nyulaku/.

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Lt Col Konaté has many academic achievements, including studies in the United States and Germany, remarkably at the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DILLS), Lackland and Garmisch. Studied topics include for example regional security and programme on terrorism and security studies.

Lt Col Konaté has had many temoporary duty assignments at a number of military schools in Mali and regional Africa. From 2006 to 2013, he was deployed to Tombouctou as a Company Commander. Beyond this, Lt Col Konaté has also served as a staff officer, instructor and intelligence officer in his career.

From 2017 to 2018, he was Chief Intelligence Analyst in charge of reporting on the DDR process in Mali, and he is currently the point of contact on DDR with the EMP-ABB.

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Mark has a focus on identifying business opportunities, assessing ESG (environmental, social and governance) risks, responsible business conduct, value chain analysis, Disarmament, Demobilization & Reintegration (DDR), conflict analysis, conflict-sensitivity and security & human rights. He has worked worldwide in many fragile settings, including Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Colombia, Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Over the last 15 years, Mark has focused on action-oriented research and consultancy work on how to strengthen investors’ and companies’ strategies and operational capacity to work in a responsible way in fragile settings, as well as to improve value chains and support SMEs, Internally Displaced Persons, refugees and former combatants, with the ultimate goal to contribute to equitable development and peace building. He has worked in various capacities in projects financed by multinational companies, universities, NGOs (including IDH, SOMO, Oxfam Novib, International Alert, MercyCorps), multilateral institutions (including World Bank Group/IFC, UNDP, UNHCR, IOM, ITC), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy and the European Union.

In 2017, Mark founded Bureau Van Dorp, a consultancy firm specializing in responsible business and private sector development in emerging markets and fragile and conflict-affected settings, working in partnership with a network of international and local consultants. Since 2022, Mark is also a Senior Associate at ODI and a Research Associate at LSE IDEAS, the foreign think tank of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

To read more about Mark van Dorp, kindly visit: http://bureauvandorp.nl/

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She is also a Research Fellow at the Research on International Policy Implementation Lab, a Senior Associate (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Africa Program, and a Fellow with the George Washington University Program on Extremism.

In 2021, Hilary graduated from Yale University with a PhD in Political Science. In 2015, Hilary graduated with an MA in International Relations, with a focus on African Studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS. Her research is at the intersection of security, gender, and governance, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

Her work has been published in International Security, Security Studies, Stability, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, and African Studies Review.

To read more about Hilary Matfess, kindly visit: https://www.hilarymatfess.com/

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Her research interests include the dynamics of conflicts and crises in Sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on women on girls. An Associate Fellow of the West Africa Think Tank (WATHI), Pelumi has been published by WATHI, ISS Africa, Business Day and Social Good Lagos.

With her professional experience spanning across research, facilitation, and policy development, Pelumi has worked with different international organizations including DAI Global LLC, Global Affairs Canada and the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Her current research focuses on women’s experiences and perspectives of transitional justice measures implemented against the background of the Boko Haram crises in the Lake Chad Basin.

To read more about Pelumi Obisesan, kindly visit: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/oluwapelumi-obisesan

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Her most recent work is on comparative policing. She has conducted fieldwork in Colombia, Central America, Melanesia, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. Her 2017 book, Electing Peace: From Civil Conflict to Political Participation, was published by Cambridge University Press and won the 2018 Charles H. Levine Memorial Book Prize. Her work has also been published by Foreign Affairs, Governance, International Security, Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, and elsewhere.

She previously worked at the RAND Corporation and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She has held fellowships at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and UCSD’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.

She received her Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University and her A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard University.

To read more about Aila M. Matanock, kindly visit: http://www.ailamatanock.com/

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She is currently working on two book projects. The first builds on research in Sierra Leone and explores how and why unpopular rebel groups survive to fight decade-long civil wars. And the second, under contract with Princeton University Press, measures the impact of women’s participation in revolutionary movements worldwide to reveal their pivotal role in democratization trends.

Among other active projects, Dr. Marks is actively examining how wartime experiences shape individual wellbeing and community reintegration after war. Using surveys and social network analysis in Northeast Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the project compares protracted conflict settings to explain how mobilization for violence affects prospects for intergroup reconciliation and peacebuilding.

Dr. Marks holds a DPhil in Politics and MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Government and African American Studies from Georgetown University. She has previously worked for UN and non-governmental organizations in Ethiopia, France, Sierra Leone, South Africa, the UK, and the US.

To read more about Zoe Marks, kindly visit: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/zoe-marks

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She is also affiliated Senior Researcher with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. She has over 20 years of coherent work experience with issues pertaining to armed conflicts and peace processes in the intersection of research, policy and practice. She has carried out research and published on non-state armed actors in civil wars, rebel-to-party transformations, spoilers in peace processes, post-war democratization, election-related violence, and conflict resolution in Islamist armed conflicts.

She has conducted field work for research purposes in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Burundi, El Salvador, Israel, Palestine, Cambodia and the Philippines. She has significant experience of providing training (including conflict analysis) and evidence-based policy advisory services to national, regional and international organisations. She has strong communication, presentation, facilitation skills.

She is member of the steering committee for the Politics After War Network and the co-editor of the research brief series The Political Dynamics of DDR.

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