PNYX Ltd. - African Security Forum

Major General Arnold Fields, U.S. Marine Corps (RET)
Chairman, NAPA Standing Panel on International Affairs
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)

Major General Arnold Fields is a Fellow and member of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in Washington, DC. He is also a Special Government Employee and consultant with the U.S. Department of Defense. He retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2004 at which time he was serving as Deputy Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces in Europe and Africa. Previous military assignments included Commanding General of all Marine Corps Bases in Hawaii; Deputy Commander of Third Marine Expeditionary Force; Commander of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters; Inspector General of U.S. Central Command; Director of the Headquarters Marine Corps Staff at the Pentagon; Commanding Officer of all Marine Corps Embassy Security Guards in North Africa and the Middle East; and Commander of a motorized infantry battalion in combat during the 1990-91 Gulf War. Post retirement civilian positions included Chief of Staff of the Iraq Reconstruction and Management Office at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; Deputy Director of the Department of Defense Africa Center for Strategic Studies; and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) responsible for oversight of over $60Bn appropriated for Afghanistan’s reconstruction.

Keynote Speakers

H.E. Amb. Smail Chergui
Commissioner
Peace & Security Department; African Union Commission (AUC)

Ambassador Smail Chergui was sworn-in as the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security on 12 October 2013. Prior to his election to the AU by African leaders, he was Algeria’s Ambassador to Russia from 2008 to 2013, Director General of Africa Department of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2004-2008), Ambassador of Algeria to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti (1997-2004). Born in 1956, Ambassador Chergui is a career diplomat; a graduate of the Diplomatic Section of the Algiers-based National School of Administration (ENA). His career of more than 32-years in the Algerian Foreign Service includes two decades of work on African Affairs. He has also served in Ethiopia, Morocco and Switzerland (Consul General) and in various capacities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Algiers.

Ambassador Chergui chaired the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution (1999 - 2000) and served as a Member of the Group of Algerian negotiators of the peace agreement for North Mali, signed in Algiers in July 2006. He was also a Member of the Group of Algerian negotiators of the peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, signed in Algiers in December 2000. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

General Assefa Abiyu
Chief
Federal Police Commission; Ethiopia

Azeez Nurudeen Kolawole
Chief, Operational Planning & Advisory Section (OPAS)
United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU)

Azeez Nurudeen Kolawole is the Chief of the Operational Planning and Advisory Section of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) in Addis Ababa. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Training Officer at UNOAU. He has extensive experience in peacekeeping operations and African Union peace and security matters. He had a successful military career that spans over 26 years, before he voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Army in September 2011. While in the army, he served in various capacities both at home and abroad.

He was a member of the Darfur Planning Team that was responsible for the transition planning of AMIS to UNAMID. He has worked extensively on the development and operationalization of the African Standby Force. He has supported the African Union in the planning and management of its missions in Mali, Central African Republic, the AU Regional Initiative on the Eradication of the Lord’s Resistance Army (AU-RCL LRA), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and currently the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on Boko Haram. He is also involved in several capacity building initiatives both at the AUC and regional levels towards operationalizing the ASF. He has served as facilitator/mentor on several ASF training programmes, exercises and AU Senior Mission Leaders Courses.

Hussein Sheikh Abdurrahman
Senior Advisor
Office of the Prime Minister; Somalia

Mr. Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman currently holds the role of Senior Advisor within the Office of the Prime Minister for the Somalia Federal Government regarding Policy and Security Issues. Prior to this, he was the Protection of HIV/AIDS Focal Point & Health Affairs within the Office of the Prime Minister, Deputy Permanent Secretary, the Director of Human Resource & Training Office, and earlier the Director of Administration within the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Abdirahman has also held the positions of Director of Planning, Director General, and Director of Administration and Finance at the Ministry of Health. Mr. Abdirahman also has a Bachelor Degree of Business Administration from Indian Ocean University, Mogadishu.

Speakers

Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni,
Inspector-General of Police
Nigeria Police Force

Dr. Ernest Simo
General Manager
SES Astra

Dr. SIMO was a Finalist to NASA astronauts’ selection process in 1994 and 1996. In 1994, His co-finalists included space Heroes Rick Husband and William McCool who were respectively Commander and Pilot of the Space shuttle Columbia which was tragically lost in Feb-2003.

Since the mid-80s, Dr. Ernest SIMO has conducted pioneering efforts in key technologies that are essential components of the Information Superhighway, especially in the SATCOMS and Wireless fields. From 1984 to 2004, Dr SIMO trained thousands of Telecommunications executives, managers and engineers in the United States and around the world. He is the author of a series of books and videotapes on satellite communications, VSATs, and CDMA technologies.

From 20010 to 2013, he served as a Satellite Communications senior advisor to the US Department of Defense via DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency), on Fixed, Mobile, aeronautical and Remotely Piloted Aircrafts- RPAs (Drones) applications. He joined SES in 2013 and currently serves as the General Manager, New Markets and Products, for the Global Government Vertical based in Washington DC.

Dr. Julius Maritim
Chief of NCB
INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Kenya

Mr. Maritim has over 30 years policing experience with the National Police Service, Kenya. He is a trained fraud investigator and was attached to the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (Central Bank of Kenya) for 14 years six of which as the officer in charge Mombasa office (1992 - 2005). Mr. Maritim has also worked as the officer in charge of training for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for 4 years. From the year 2009 - 2015, he was seconded to INTERPOL as a Regional Specialized Officer and was based at the INTERPOL Regional Bureau in Nairobi. At the bureau his responsibilities for the 13 Eastern Africa Member Countries are: Coordination of joint operations, Coordnation of Capacity building activities, Coordination of Financial and High-Tech Crimes Desk activities, Coordination of anti-Maritime Piracy Desk activities, Coordination of anti Terrorism desk activities, Facilitating Communications through the INNTERPOL Global Communication System.

Raymond Kitevu
Conflict Early Warning Expert,Governance, Peace, and Security (GPS) Unit
COMESA Secretariat

Raymond Kitevu is the Conflict Early Warning Expert of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa which has its headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia. His responsibilities include coordinating the COMESA Conflict Early Warning Mechanism (COMWARN) conflict prevention initiatives towards addressing and resolving the diverse conflicts affecting the COMESA Sub-region in collaboration with the African Union, other Regional Economic Communities, NGOs, civil society, governmental institutions, international organizations and other relevant stakeholders. Before joining COMESA in 2014, Mr. Kitevu had over fifteen years of professional experience working in the field of peace and security with national and international NGOs in Kenya and Eastern Africa, as well as other institutions including IGAD, UNDP, and UN agencies.

Brig Gen Francis Doe Ogbey
Western Brigade Commander
UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)

Brigadier General Ogbey enlisted into the Ghana Military Academy as an Officer Cadet in January 1983 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant on 29th January 1984 and posted to the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Army as a Platoon Commander. He has held several appointments in his Thirty-Three (33) years of serving in the Ghana Armed Forces in general and the Ghana Army in particular. Prominent of them are; Officer Commanding at the 3 and 4 Infantry Battalions, Second in Command at the Army Recruit Training School and 3 Infantry Battalion, Deputy Director in charge of Operations and Plans at the Department of International Peace Support Operations (IPSO), Commanding Officer at Military Academy and Training Schools, Headquarters, Deputy Commander, Army Combat Training School. Until his appointment as the Western Brigade Commander, he was the Director General in charge of Joint Operations. He has a rich peacekeeping experience having served in a lot of missions; five times in Lebanon, Sierra Leone, twice in Liberia, other places include Cambodia, Western Sahara, and Darfur. He also served under ECOMOG in Liberia.

Christopher Reynolds
Head of Operations
EUCAP Nestor Somalia

Christopher Reynolds joined the Irish Navy as an Executive Branch (Deck) Officer in 1979 and was trained by the Royal Navy at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth and with the Irish Navy until 1983. In 1985 as Gunnery Officer Chris served on board the LE Aisling which was the On Scene Commander for the response to the first terrorist bombing of a jumbo jet, the Air India disaster where members of his diving team were decorated for bravery.

Shortly before leaving the Navy (pre-1997) Chris was appointed to a HQ position for a year with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. During the Israeli-Hezbollah ‘Grapes of Wrath’ conflict in the Spring of 1996 he took over command of the humanitarian convoys operating from Tyre and was awarded a citation for bravery for his actions, particularly at and after the Qana massacre. In November 1997 Chris joined the fledgling Irish Coast Guard as an operations and training Officer and acted as On Scene Incident Manager for the majority of maritime accidents over the next 10 years when he was appointed to the post of Director, a position he holds today whilst on secondment to EU Cap Nestor.

Prof. Ann Fitz-Gerald
Professor of Security Sector Management
Cranfield University

Ann Fitz-Gerald is a Professor in Cranfield University’s Department of Management and Security where she holds a Chair in Security Sector Management. She has degrees in Commerce, Political Science, and War Studies. Ann’s Phd examined the relationship between peace support operations and short-medium term economic growth in conflict affected countries. After receiving her Commerce degree, Ann worked in the financial sector, then moved to the Government of Canada and held posts at the International Lester B Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, the UN, NATO Headquarters and the North Atlantic Parliamentary Assembly. During her time in Brussels, she focused on the defence-related accession strategies of Central and East European countries. Ann’s research focuses mainly on African peace missions and the role of African regional organisations. She serves as Course Director for the Masters programme in Security Sector Management that is delivered both in the UK an in Africa.

Lt Col Pankaj Joshi
Military Planning Officer
United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU)

Lt Col Pankaj Joshi (India) was commissioned into the Artillery Branch of the Indian Army in June 2000. He has more than 16 years of military career, wherein he has tenanted important staff, instructors and command appointments. In his previous appointment as Chief Operations Officer of an Independent Armoured Formation, he was responsible for planning, organizing & conduct of operations at the theatre level. He has had a previous UN exposure in UNMIS, wherein he also witnessed the Referendum in Sudan. He is currently serving as Military Planning Officer in the Operational Planning and Advisory Section of the UNOAU and is dealing with all the current African Union Peace Support Operations including African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram and Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (RCI-LRA).

Maj Gen Mohammad Maksudur Rahman
Deputy Force Commander
United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

Major General Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, psc joined UNAMID as Deputy Force Commander (DFC) on 16 December 2016. Born on 01 September 1966, he was commissioned in the Bangladesh Army in 1985 in the Infantry Regiment. Major General Maksud has a distinguished carrier in command, staff and instruction. He commanded two Infantry Battalion and President Guard Regiment. He also served as director in Special Security Forces. Beside regimental staff appointments, he was the Grade II staff officer of NCO’s Academy. He was instructor in Bangladesh Military Academy and School of Infantry and Tactics in two tenures. He was also a directing staff of Denfence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur. He is a graduate of Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur. He earned his Masters in Defence Studies under National University, Bangladesh. Major General Maksud has served in two UN Missions; first one, as Military Observer in former Yugoslavia in 1992-93 and second one, as Contingent Commander, BANBAT-8 in UNOCI in 2006-07.

Abdifatah Ahmed Said
Director of Policy & Planning
Ministry of Defence; Somalia

Mr. Said is a Director of Policy and Planning at Ministry of Defense within the Somalia Federal Government. He is responsible for analysis and policy development work in support of a wide range of Defense activities including: political-military threat analysis, international and civil engagement, human resources, logistics and procurement, military capability development, administration, training, financial management and industrial activities. He also produces analysis on future direction of the security environment, statistical trends and strategic risks. Mr. Said provides consolidated strategic analysis and Defence policy advice on such issues to inform Ministerial decisions. It supports the development of policy guidance is a primary tool for monitoring SNAF compliance with national Government policy directives. He is also the lead drafter and coordinator of key policy documents such as the Defence White Paper.

Michael Hands M.A.
Mine Action Officer,Operational Planning & Advisory Section (OPAS)
United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU)

Mr. Hands is currently working as the UNOAU Mine Action Officer, based in Addis Ababa, and recently completed a one year secondment in Mogadishu as the UNMAS Project Manager for Weapons and Ammunition Management. He holds a Masters in Post War Recovery Studies from the University of York. He has extensive experience from over 20 years working in the field and Head Quarters positions in the UN and NGOs, in the field of Mine Action and security. He has worked in UN Peace Keeping and Peace Support Missions in Eritrea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Lebanon, Gaza and Somalia, where he gain experience in both Humanitarian Mine Action, support to military demining activities, and security. Prior to working in Mine Action Mr. Hands served in the British Army as a Royal Engineer.

Dr. Stefano Failla
SSR Officer,Operational Planning & Advisory Section (OPAS)
United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU)

Stefano Failla (Italy) begun his international career in Hong Kong in 1997, working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, after serving four years with the Ministry of Interior. In 2001 he joined the UN in Kosovo, where he served 4 years as Head of Counter-Trafficking and Border Intelligence Units before moving to the Department of Justice as Legal Affairs Officer working with the Chief International Prosecutor. He then worked as Advisor and Programme Manager with the IOM in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, before joining the European Commission as Sector Manager for Justice and Home Affairs in Albania in 2007. Prior to his deployment to UNOAU he spent 5 years as Head of Strategic Affairs with the EU Agency for Law Enforcement training (CEPOL), first in the United Kingdom and then in Hungary. His academic background is in Political Science and Law.

CAPT John Ries
Director of Africa Engagement
U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Naval Forces Africa, U.S. Sixth Fleet

Captain Ries graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1989 with a
degree in Oceanography, later earning a Master's Degree in Engineering from
Dartmouth College. Captain Ries flew the UH-3 helicopter for Helicopter
Combat Support Squadron TWO (HC-2) homeported in Norfolk Virginia making
multiple deployments to Manama, Bahrain and Naples. Ashore, Captain Ries
served as flight instructor and Operations Officer for Helicopter Training
Squadron Eighteen (HT-18) in Pensacola, Florida and has accumulated over
1700 instructional and 3000 total flight hours. From 2004 to 2007, Captain
Ries was assigned as Assistant Naval Attaché (A/ALUSNA) in Santiago, Chile.
In 2005, he made a lateral conversion to the new Navy Foreign Area Officer
(FAO) Community and after French language training, reported to the U.S.
Embassy Antananarivo, Madagascar as Senior Defense Official and Defense
Attaché accredited to Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles. In
August 2011, he as assigned as Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché
accredited to Peru. He held this position until November of 2014 when he
reported to Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Naval Forces Africa as the
Director of the Africa Engagement Division (N52).

Pieter Goosen
International Collaboration & Business Development Manager
CSIR

Pieter Goosen, [M.Eng (Computer), MBA], is responsible for international business development in South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), largely in the defence and security R&D and engineering domains. As secretariat to the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) joint defence working group on defence science, engineering and technology, Pieter facilitated the development of a model of the mechanisms influencing collaboration and proposed actions to improve the mechanisms via bi- and tri- party projects using grounded theory research. His further technical background is in the development of custom, integrative radar test and evaluation facilities including systems and software for distributed hardware-in-the-loop simulators used internationally.

CDR Giuseppe Platania
Assistant Chief of Staff
EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR)

Commander Giuseppe Platania is an Amphibious Officer who has worked for the Italian Navy for the last 29 years. As main commitments of his career he was Commanding Officer of the Marine minor department, C.O. of a water-tanker (ITS Brenta) in 2000-2001, Executive Officer of the ITS Zeffiro, NATO flagship in the Mediterranean Sea during 2008-2009 and the Italian Navy Patrol Squadron Commander and Senior National Representative in the Red Sea, as part of the Multinational Force & Observers, in 2009-2010.

His multinational Staff-work experience is the result of various overseas deployments (three years in Spain as a Branch Chief of the Spanish Marine Brigade, one year in IRAQ in 2006 to rebuild the Iraqi Joint Staff College, one year in Afghanistan as planner of Gen. Petraeus staff in 2011, one year in Bahrain in 2012, as a planner of the Combined Maritime Forces, operating in the Persian Gulf and in the Somali Basin to counter the terrorism and the piracy and more recently, one year in Djibouti as XO and US-LNO of the Italian Support Base). In Italy he has gained the deepest knowledge of the highest staff of National Defence during his assignment to the Navy General HQ, Defence General HQ and then Defence Operational HQ. In Northwood he was appointed as the Joint Effect ACOS within the EU NAVFOR OHQ for Operation Atalanta last August and will remain for one year.

AVM Griffiths Santrofi Evans
Commandant/Executive Director
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre (KAIPTC)

Mr. Ibrahim Muhumed Isak
Minister's Advisor
Ministry of Internal Security; Somalia

Ibrahim Muhumed Isak currently holds the position of Minister's Advisor at the Somalia Federal Government's Ministry of Internal Security whereby, he advises the Minister of Internal Security on such matters related to national law, peacekeeping and defending against security threats; doing so since 2015. Prior to his time at the Ministry, Mr. Isak was a teacher of English, Arabic and Mathematics, and more recently, Vice-Manager of a primary and secondary school in Bosaso, Puntland state of Somalia. Mr. Isak has also served as the Deputy Chairman of the Somalia National Reconciliation Forum in Mogadishu.