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Conference Chair
MG (Ret.) Salihu Zaway Uba (Panel Chair)
Former UNMIL Force Commander
 CONFERENCE CHAIR

Retired Major General Salihu Zaway Uba is a well-decorated Nigerian Army officer who started his military career in 1979 and retired in April 2018. He served in various capacities of command, staff and instructor. He ventured into peacekeeping roles and served under ECOWAS Monitoring Group ECOMOG, the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). He was the last Force Commander UNMIL and prior to the appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General, General Uba served as the Commander of Training and Doctrine Command of the Nigerian Army and the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Center respectively. He was appointed the Director Veterans’ Affairs Department in the Nigerian Ministry of Defence and also held a high-level appointment of a Sector Commander in UNMIL from 2010 to 2012. Major Gen Uba, is a fellow of the National War College Nigeria, and a recipient of several medals and awards which include: General Service Star, Field Command Medal of Honour, Training Support Medal, General Operations Medal, UNPROFOR, UNMIL, and ECOMOG. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Service Order of the Republic of Liberia and the Chief of Army Staff, Nigeria Commendation Medal.


Keynote Speakers
Hon. Kenea Yadeta
Minister
 Ethiopia; Ministry of Defense (MoD)

Hon. Kenea Yadeta serves the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) as the Minister of Defense. He holds a PhD in Public Management, a Master’s in Public & Constitutional Law (LLM), in Public Administration (MPA), and in Business Administration (MBA). Hon. Yadeta also a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB), and also in Organizational Management (BA). Before serving as Minister of Defense, Hon. Yadeta held positions at the Ethiopian Federal Police as Deputy Commissioner General, Oromia Regional State as Security Bureau Head, and also Deputy Police Commissioner, Branch Manager at the Ethiopian Revenue & Custom Authority, and Deputy Manager at the Ethiopian Metals & Engineering Corporation. Hon. Yadeta has also served as Member of the Council of Constitutional Inquiring of Ethiopia (CCI), and Member of the Ethiopian House of Federation (The Upper House).
Lt. Gen. Meïssa Niang
Grand Chancellor of the National Lion Order
 Senegalese Gendarmerie

Lieutenant General Meïssa Niang is an officer of the National Gendarmerie, holding a postgraduate doctorate in Criminology. In service at the Ministry of the Armed Forces of which he was the legal adviser, he was the Director of Control, Studies and Legislation, designer and drafter of the convention on the organization of African gendarmeries, president of the network of presidents of national commissions on small arms. Being also the designer of the Gender Sector Strategy of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, he was an advisor in extraordinary service to the Supreme Court. At the Gendarmerie, he successively held the positions of Commander of the Southern Legion, Commander of the Territorial Gendarmerie, Commander of the Mobile Gendarmerie, then High Commander of the National Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice. To this day, he is the Grand Chancellor of the National Order of the Lion.
Gen. Charles Richard Mondjo
Minister
 Congo; Ministry of National Defence

General Charles Mondjo served in the First Battalion in 1979 and rose through the ranks to become Chief of Staff of the 1st Armored Regiment before taking command in 1987, Director of Teaching and Studies at the Marien Ngouabi Military Academy in 1993 and later commander of the Military Defense Zone no01 Pointe-Noire. In 2002, General Mondjo was Chief of General Staff of the Congolese armed forces until 2012, when he became Minister of Defense of the Republic of Congo. General Mondjo is a recipient of several medals which include: Grand Officer in the Congolese Order of Merit, Grand Officer in the National Order of Peace, Officer in the Order of the French Legion of Honor and Grand Officer of Peace of COPAX / ECCAS. He also has medals within the framework of collective security (Angola; Cameroon; Chad; Gabon and CAR).


Speakers
Francis Kwaku Yiribaare (Panel Chair)
Chief of Operations,UN Police (UNPOL)
 UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

Mr. Francis Kwaku Yiribaare serves the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as the UN Police Chief of Operations. He directly drives implementation of mandated operational priorities of the UN Police component across UNMISS ensuring operational cohesiveness and effectiveness consistent with changing security dynamics, to enhance physical safety and security of over 167, 000 IDPs. Prior to this, Francis served for nearly four years as UN Police POC site Coordinator for Bentiu, the largest UN Protection of Civilians sites in UNMISS. Francis also possesses other UN Peace-keeping experiences in Bosnia Herzegovina (IPTF) and UNOCI (Côte d'Ivoire). He is a Chief Superintendent of Police in the Ghana Police Service with over 30 years of law enforcement experience, and served as Staff officer to the IGP as well as District and Divisional commander in Ghana.
Dr. George Kainja
Inspector General of Police
 Malawi Police Service

Dr. George Kainja is the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, a position he assumed on 8th July 2020. He holds a PhD in Strategic Management, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Education. He is an adjunct lecturer at Mzuzu University and a Consultant at ESAMI where he supervises PhD and MBA Students. He began his policing career in 1992 and has worked at Police Secondary School, and Karonga and Mponela Police Stations. He was Deputy Head of Community Policing, Community Policing Coordinator for Southern Region, Service Administration Officer, Deputy Commissioner for the Eastern and Southern Regions, Commissioner of Police for the Southern and Central Regions. In July 2016 Dr. Kainja was appointed Commissioner of Police for Research, Planning and Reforms, a position he held when he was appointed Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service.
Joseph Kipchumba Kalum
Inspector,Anti-terrorism Police Unit (ATPU)
 Kenya National Police Service

Inspector Joseph Kalum is a cybercrime investigator within Directorate of Criminal investigation based at anti-terrorism Police Unit. Currently in-charge of cyber Crime section, CT trainer, and researching on internet proactive investigation. Mr. Kalum holds a BSc degree in information technology from Strathmore University. He is a certified computer hacking investigator by EC-Council and digital and social media forensic investigator.
Gedion Kimilu
Head of Interpol Bureau for East Africa
 INTERPOL Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa

Mr. Kimilu serves as the Head of INTERPOL's Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa (Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Seychelles, Republic of Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda), where he has managed major operations against crimes since October 2016. Formerly the Commandant of the DCI Training School, Kenya (2010-2012), Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations, Kenya (2012-2015), seconded to the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government (2015-2016), and with a career-high rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General within the Kenya National Police Service, Mr. Kimilu joined the Police in 1989. He also holds a Master of Arts in Criminology from the University of Nairobi.
Graham Walker (Panel Chair)
Marketing Executive Naval & Maritime Systems
 Saab

Graham Walker is the Marketing Executive Naval and Maritime Systems for Saab covering Sub Saharan Africa. He provides expert advice to customers requiring Saab’s innovative technologies and solutions in the military, civil security and oil and gas domains. As a former Captain in the South African Navy with 23 years’ experience as a Combat Officer, he possesses a strong skill set in the field of maritime security issues and challenges around the African continent. He engages and participates with academic institutions and regional think tanks on issues pertaining to maritime security in Africa.
Jane Strangways
Country Director - Somaliland
 HALO Trust

Jane is currently the Country Director for HALO Somaliland which employs over 500 field staff and is the only mine clearance organisation operating in the country. On joining HALO, she initially managed the mine action programme in central Iraq, clearing improvised explosive devices in the immediate aftermath of the conflict. In her previous career, Jane led several projects within Defence and has extensive experience of programme delivery including management of a service charity. Following completion of an MA in Development and Emergency Practice in 2014, she worked with a number of charitable organisations in disaster relief field operations.
Lawrie Clapton
Country Director - Somalia
 HALO Trust

Lawrie Clapton is the HALO Somalia Country Director. Lawrie has worked in Somalia since 2018, managing landmine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, and security sector support projects. Lawrie is a former Royal Marines Commando, and, prior to joining HALO, Lawrie worked in maritime security, focusing on Libya and the Horn of Africa. Lawrie’s work for humanitarian organisations began during the 2016 refugee crisis, where he worked in Search and Rescue for a local Greek NGO. Lawrie holds masters degrees in international security and political science, focusing on insurgency and counterinsurgency in fragile states.
Koos Joubert
Technical Adviser
 DCD Protected Mobility

Presently Koos is the Technical Adviser to DCD Protected Mobility on Route Clearance Applications and Mine Protected Vehicles. He joined Armscor (Defence Acquisition Agency) in 1971 and studied Mechanical Engineering and served for 42 years at Armscor where he was involved in the design, development and testing of mine protected vehicles and managed the Landward Defence Programmes on behalf of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Koos is also a retired Citizen Force Officer and served operationally in the Namibia/Angola Border War. Koos did several post graduate courses which included; Systems Engineering, Logistic Engineering, Programme Management (University of Pretoria), Fluid of Mechanics, Strain Gauge Course (University of Stellenbosch0, Explosives Course (SANDF), Armour Development Course (Shriven ham -UK) and participated in the Executive National Security Programme: ENSP 04/01 Jan – June 2001.
M.G. Mainasara Masanawa
Commandant
 Nigerian Army; Nigeria Armed Forces

Maj. Gen. Mainasara Abdul Masanawa is the director of Innovation and Concept Development at Defence Headquarters Abuja and currently the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Ordnance School, Lagos. He has attended several military courses and seminars both at home and abroad including Armament & Ammunition Technical Officers, Material Management & Work-study, Ordnance Executive Officers Management, Logistics Management, Senior Command & Staff, International Peace Support Operations, Internal Crisis Management and National Defence. Maj. Gen. Masanawa has held several regimental and extra regimental appointments among which are Armament Officer Commanding Officer 2 Base Ammunition Depot, Directing Staff at Nigerian Army College of Logistics, Deputy Commandant/Director of Studies at Nigerian Army Ordnance School, Chief of Staff at Nigerian Army Ordnance Headquarters and Director Equipment Procurement at Army Headquarters. He is currently the Commander Army Central Ammunition Depot, Agunu.
Tim Leary
Program Director
 Woolpert

Mr. Leary is a geospatial information expert with a career that spans 25 years, where he provides subject matter expertise in processing, exploitation and dissemination for high altitude data collection. Tim helped the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the U.S. Army develop the first standardized geodatabase for geologic terms, attribution and display. He was among the first geospatial experts to use commercial aerial and satellite imagery in flight training, simulation and computer gaming. As a Program Director in Woolpert's National Security group, Tim brings hands-on geospatial experience and his passion for innovation to clients in the military, intelligence community, government and the private sector. Tim has the unique ability to understand clients' requirements and then link both data and technologies to produce creative solutions that streamline production and provide immediate access to actionable geospatial information. With expertise in remote sensing, image processing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and technology integration, Tim helps clients push the boundaries of what's possible and extend the current state-of-the-art.
Edward Durell
Senior International Program Specialist
 U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)

Mr. Durell is an international program specialist at Headquarters United States Africa Command. He leads outreach efforts to the African continent for the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation, managing numerous novel programs and initiatives. Prior to his current position, he managed a federal agency program for the development and application of technical specifications and standards. He is a published thought leader in all aspects of the standardization sector. Earlier career positions include designing industrial plant mechanical infrastructure and managing systems engineering processes for multiple aviation systems. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and is a High Honors graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Master’s of Business Administration. He is a registered professional engineer.
Roger Sels (Panel Chair)
Vice President Solutions - EMEA
 BlackBerry

Roger has 20+ years of hands on deep technical and leadership experience in cyber security. Before joining BlackBerry Cylance, Roger was the founding Chief Information Security Officer at DarkMatter LLC, a cybersecurity consulting firm serving mainly government, defence and intelligence agencies. Roger has held the highest security clearances from a number of governments and has acted as a trusted advisor and management consultant to executives in several Fortune-50 companies for several years, most recently with blue chip organizations including Deutsche Bank, AXA Technology Services, and ING. His engagements during this time saw him formulate strategies and carry out large global security transformation programmes in over 72 countries on five continents, mostly in the fields of security operations, penetration testing, and incident response.
Gerard Agossou
Chief Information Security Officer
 African Development Bank (AfDB)

Gerard Agossou is responsible for Information Security at the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. He possesses nearly 30 year’s experience in multiple areas including Information Security Management, Business Continuity Management, Disaster Recovery Management, Network and Systems Infrastructure Administration, Business Application Development, and Physical Security. He holds an IT Engineer degree and a Master’s degree in Management and Organization of Enterprises. He has been in the information security field since 2000 and holds CISM®, CISA®, and CISSP® certifications.
Dr. Katherine Getao
Chief Executive Officer
 Kenya ICT Authority

Until her appointment, Dr. Getao served as the ICT Secretary at the Ministry of ICT. She has also held other senior appointments in government such as ICT Secretary, e-Government at the Presidency and also served in the United Nations as a member of the Group of Governmental Experts on Security in the context of ICT. Dr. Getao's key contributions include spearheading the Huduma Kenya Initiative that has brought a raft of government services close to Kenyan citizens and has made public service delivery accessible and efficient. Additionally, as ICT Secretary, Dr. Getao spearheaded efforts that saw government integrate the ICT into Public Service delivery and the realization of Vision 2030. Those efforts transformed access of government services by citizens especially in the rural areas. Dr. Getao played a critical role during the formation of the ICT Authority in 2013 where she provided expert advice on the strategic planning, a role which saw three entities merge into one Authority in a seamless transition process.
Paballo Motoboli
Marketing & Business Development Executive
 Saab

Paballo Motoboli currently works for Saab as a Marketing & Business Development Executive in the Sub-Sahara Africa region. Over the past 4 years his focus has been in Air Borne systems, Border surveillance and Communication intelligence systems. Having worked with the Defence Force and Border Management Authorities in the region, Paballo understands the different priorities and challenges customers have. Paballo holds an International Marketing B-Tech Degree from the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa.
Brig Gen Bultie Kittila
War College Commandant
 Ethiopia; Ministry of Defense (MoD)

Brigadier General Bulti Tadesse Kitilla currently serves the FDRE as Commandant of the Ministry of Defense’s War-College. He has worked in different positions at the Ministry including MG/G/Mullgeta Bulli Poly-Technic College as Deputy Commandant, Peacekeeping Department as Human Resource Administrator, and MoD Foreign Relation & Military Cooperation as Directorate Director. He has also participated in different Peace-keeping Missions like: UNMIL in Liberia as Military's Observer (MiLoB's), and AMISOM in Somalia as Chief of Staff. Brig Gen Tadesse graduated in Degree/Bachelor of Arts, Science Information Technology with BED Degree in Electrical/Electronic Technology from Adama University Science and Technology, and in Master of Art’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Ethiopian Civil Service University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Currently, he is a “PHD candidate” in Peace and Security Studies at the International Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University.
Frederic Maio (Panel Chair)
Programme Manager - AMAT
 Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

Frederic Maio joined GICHD in their Ammunition Management Advisory Team (AMAT) in June 2019. As Programme Manager, Frederic coordinates the implementation of AMAT’s activities in partnership with donor governments and local authorities. Prior to joining GICHD, Frederic worked in the field of humanitarian mine clearance and security sector reform. From 2007 to 2015, as an operations manager for Mines Advisory Group and Handicap International, Frederic oversaw ERW clearance programmes in Sudan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Afghanistan and directed emergency response ERW clearance operations in Gaza, Libya and Syria. More recently, Frederic spent 3 years working with The Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) as head of their Ramallah Office. Frederic studied in Geneva, Switzerland and Nottingham, UK and holds a BA in Business Management and an MA in International Relations and Political Science.
James Collado
International Military Affairs Branch Chief
 U.S. Army Africa & Southern European Task Force (USARAF/SETAF)

Lieutenant Colonel James Collado is the International Military Affairs Branch Chief for U.S. Army Africa’s Security Cooperation Directorate. His branch works directly with U.S. embassies throughout North, West and Central Africa. Lieutenant Colonel Collado is a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer and has previously served on U.S. country teams in Senegal and Uganda. After graduating from French language training in 2013 at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, LTC Collado served at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. From 2015 through 2018, he worked in U.S. Embassy Uganda’s Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) as the Program Manager and Chief for the Office of Security Cooperation, directly managing the largest security cooperation portfolios in Sub Sahara Africa. LTC Collado is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University and Master of Arts degrees from both Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh.
Mahamat Abakar
Defense Assistant
 G5 Sahel

Bruno Mpondo-Epo
Director of Political Affairs
 UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)

Mr. Mpondo-Epo started his career in 1990 at UNESCO where he was Information and Communication Officer, in the regional Office for Central Africa, Regional Coordinator for Media in Conflict Countries, and in 1998, was appointed UNESCO Representative in Sudan. In 2000, he joined the UN Secretariat and successfully served as Senior Political Affairs Officer and Chief of Staff respectively in Burundi, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, and Gabon where he established and head the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa as Officer in Charge. In 2011 Bruno Mpondo-Epo was appointed Deputy Director for Africa 1 Division in the Department of Political Affairs at Headquarters. In 2012 the staff member was appointed Deputy Director for Africa 2 Division in the Department of Political Affair at Headquarter. Since 2013 Mr. Mpondo-Epo is the Director of Political Affairs for MINUSMA. Prior to joining the UN, Bruno Mpondo-Epo was lecturer and visiting Professor in Political Science at University of Lyon III (France), Dschang (Cameroon), Butare (Rwanda), Bujumbura (Burundi). He continues as visiting Professor at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center, Ecole Internationale des Forces de Sécurité.
Brig Gen Abu Bakarr Conteh
Commander - 5th Infantry Brigade
 Sierra Leone; Ministry of Defence (Armed Forces)

Abu Bakarr Conteh has served as an officer in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) for 30 years running. A serving Brigadier General with MA in Military Science Strategic and Defence Studies, and now 5 Infantry Brigade Commander. Currently, his responsibility is to protect the territorial integrity and support Military Aid to Civil Authorities (MACA) in the South and Eastern Regions of Sierra Leone. B.G. Conteh commanded the first Sierra Leone Infantry Battalion as part of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Peace Enforcement Operation (PEO) between 2013 and 2015. His Mission was to contribute to peace, security and stability in the Republic of Somalia. B.G. Conteh holds a BA in Development and Economics, MA in Public Administration and a Year One PhD Student in Political Science at the University of Sierra Leone. His great passion is to help people under presumed threat or in danger, hence contributing to national security.
David Flament (Panel Chair)
Chief Security Officer
 African Development Bank (AfDB)

David Flament joined the African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia, in 2005. He spearheaded the return of the Bank’s Headquarters to Côte d’Ivoire in 2013 and has been serving in Abidjan as Chief Security Officer for the past 6 years. The Bank’s Security Unit is responsible for the security of all the Bank’s personnel, assets and information in all locations where the Bank is present. David focuses on establishing and maintaining good working relationships with our network of security professionals operating in Côte d’Ivoire : host country forces, UN, other international organizations, the local diplomatic community and various multinational corporations. Internally he coordinates joint endeavours with the Bank’s Audit, Ethics and Anti-fraud/corruption Departments, assisting our colleagues investigating criminal cases. He is a French Army Lieutenant-Colonel specialized on African operations and holds an MEng degree (Strathclyde University) and an Exec-MBA degree (London Business School / Columbia Business School).
Marta Garcia-Argenal
Team Leader - Healthcare Team
 UN Procurement Division (UNPD)

Ms. Garcia Argenal is a procurement specialist and Team Leader for the Healthcare Procurement Team within the Operation Sustainment and Healthcare Section of the Department of Operational Support for of the UN Secretariat. With her main focus on the procurement processes in support of Peacekeeping Missions. Previously, she led a UNDP team supporting HQ operations and was the head of UNDP Nicaragua's Procurement Team. Before joining UNDP, Ms. Garcia Argenal worked in the World Bank in Nicaragua and Washington, DC as a procurement analyst for the Central American Portfolio. She started her career in finance and modernization of the public sector in the Ministry of Finance in Nicaragua and has a master’s degree in the Public Administration.
Dr. Zabulon Yoti
Regional Emergency Director
 World Health Organization (WHO)

Dr. Zabulon Yoti is a public health veteran with over 20 years’ experience in clinical and public health practice. He is best known for his leadership in coordinating public health response to disease outbreaks, natural and man-made disasters. Dr Yoti has provided direct field support to several African countries in responding to disease outbreaks. Dr Yoti, from Uganda, works in the World Health Organization Emergencies (WHE) Programme in the African Regional Office (AFRO) based in Brazzaville, Congo. He is the Technical Coordinator for WHO AFRO WHE. From June 2014 to December 2015, Dr Yoti was re-assigned as part of WHO AFRO surge deployment for Ebola response in the West African Region with responsibility of providing technical leadership and coordination of the outbreak response. From November 2014 to December 2015, he was the WHO Deputy Head of Office for Sierra Leone where he successfully led WHO’s technical team and partners in responding to the Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone. He had previously participated in responding to several Viral Haemorrhagic Fever outbreaks in the African Region.
Dr. Girum Hailu
Senior Advisor - IGAD Health & Social Development
 Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Dr. Girum Hailu holds a Medical Doctorate Degree from Jimma University, in Ethiopia and a Master's in Public Health from Free University of Brussels (ULB), in Belgium. Dr. Girum Hailu Maheteme has been serving as the managing Director of Future International Consulting (FIC) in Ethiopia, for more than sixteen years, where he oversees various research programs, consulting and training services in areas of Health, Population and Nutrition (HPN). In addition to providing consulting services to organizations such as JICA, Pathfinder International, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA, World Bank, DFID, he has organized and participated in various national and international conferences, seminars and trainings related to improving health care and prevention of tropical diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Dr. Girum Hailu Maheteme is currently serving as a senior Advisor for IGAD health and social development program, with full passion and dedication, in all fronts of regional medicine regulation and the fight against cancer in the IGAD region, and fighting Outbreaks, Epidemics and new heath treats like COVID-19. DR. Girum Hailu Maheteme is currently based in Addis Ababa to serve as IGAD Coordinator for COVID-19 response in Ethiopia.
Lt Col Sheku Tejan Sesay
Military Plans & Operations Officer
 African Union Commission (AUC)

Lieutenant Colonel Sheku Tejan Sesay is the Military Plans and Operations Officer of the Peace Support Operations Division under the Peace and Security Department at the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His current role includes conflict monitoring, strategic direction and planning, mandate development and mission planning of all mandated and authorized African Union Peace Support Operations. Prior to joining the AUC, he last served in his national armed forces (the Republic of sierra Leone Armed Forces-RSLAF) as Provost Marshal. He was Commander of the Joint Presidential Guard Force and later Aide De Camp (ADC) to former president of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Col Sesay was the 3rd in order of precedence, senior military officer to have commanded the RSLAF’s Elite Force (Force Reconnaissance Unit).
Major Frank Talbert
IED Threat Mitigation Advisor
 UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS)

MAJ Frank Talbert currently serves within the UN Mine Action Service as an IED Threat Mitigation Advisor. He is an American active duty Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer with 14 years experience. He has served as an EOD Platoon Leader, Company Commander, IED instructor at the Naval School for EOD, and most recently as an EOD Battalion executive officer. Frank has three overseas deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently Kuwait.
Dr. Mac McClelland (Panel Chair)
President - Middle East & Africa
 International Stability Operations Association (ISOA)

Living and working in the Middle East and North Africa for over 40 years, Dr. T. B. (Mac) McClelland, Jr., has extensive experience in political, social, and military affairs in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Africa. Mac is a retired officer in the US Marine Corps and has advised the US military, US Department of State and consular officials, foreign governments, and military officials on African and Arab affairs. He has led complex multicultural international organizations with P&L responsibilities across the globe. He currently leads a management consulting firm based in Dubai dealing focused on business development, marketing, and government relations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He is a professor at Hult International Business School, the Abu Dhabi School of Management, and other organizations.
Carine Kaneza-Nantulya
Africa Advocacy Director
 Human Rights Watch

Carine Kaneza Nantulya is the Africa Advocacy Director within the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. Before joining Human Rights Watch, she was spokesperson for the Women and Girls Movement for Peace and Security in Burundi. She is a transitional justice practitioner with over fifteen years’ experience in human rights programming and conflict resolution in Burundi, Uganda, Sierra Leone and South Africa, among others. She coordinated a human rights program at the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre; worked on the peace negotiations between the Uganda Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army and advised the negotiation teams. She has worked as an independent consultant and evaluator for international organizations, governments and African organizations, including the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda, the Forum of Conscience in Sierra Leone, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Uganda, Ugandan Ministry of Justice, Search for Common Ground, Global Rights and the Juba Initiative Fund (JIP) of the peace process between the Government of Uganda and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Carine holds a master’s degree in Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.
Col. Papa Malick Diaw
Delegate to the Military & Armed Groups
 International Commitee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Col. Diaw Joined ICRC in April 2015 as Delegate to the Military & Armed Groups (MAG), based in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and covering west Africa region. He is the FAS delegate to the Military & Armed Groups has the primary responsibility of contributing to ICRC dialogue with the African Union and Ethiopian armed forces on issues related to Peace Support Operations; interact with defence attachés and senior military officers of global actors based in Addis (ex. UN, EU, US, UK, France, China) on matters related to continental security issues, humanitarian space and ICRC operations. Col. Diaw has been the ICRC delegate to the armed forces to Ethiopia and to the African Union since June 2019.
Dr. Harvey Langholtz (Panel Chair)
Executive Director
 Peace Operations Training Institute (POTI)

Dr. Harvey Langholtz is the Executive Director of the Peace Operations Training Institute. He has spent the past 30 years working in international relations, with the UN, and on e-learning for military personnel. During his military years, he was the Commanding Officer of the US Coast Guard Institute and responsible for all distance learning in the service. He was a member of the US Delegation to the UN, serving on the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. He is the founding director of POTI. Dr. Langholtz holds an M.S. from the US Naval Postgraduate School and a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. He has served as the Editor of the Journal of International Peacekeeping. His published books include The Psychology of Peacekeeping and The Psychology of Diplomacy, among others.
Dr. Kwaku Asante-Darko
Regional Programme Specialist - West & Central Africa
 UN Development Programme (UNDP)

Dr. Kwaku Asante-Darko works for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as Regional Programme Specialist (UNDP/DPPA/DCO) for West and Central Africa. He previously worked as a Political Affairs Officer and Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (SRSG) for West Africa and the Sahel at UNOWAS. Kwaku was a ‘Senior Expert on Conflict Prevention’ at the Headquarters of the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as one of the pioneers in the establishment of the Early Warning and Conflict Prevention section, and the founding ‘Coordinator of the African Union Mediation Support Unit’ (AU-MSU). He represented the African Union in several mediation and conflict prevention missions and accompanied several Special Envoys and Members of the AU Panel of the Wise as political advisor on preventative diplomacy mission to Gabon, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Burundi and Tunisia.
Zurab Elzarov
Chief - Governance & Community Stabilization Section
 AU - UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)

Zurab Elzarov is the Chief of Governance and Community Stabilization Section (GCSS) with the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). He oversees the development, implementation and coordination of UNAMID’s activities in Darfur related to the mediation of intercommunal conflicts, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), community stabilization and violence reduction, and other initiatives. He also served as the Mission’s Chief of Protection of Civilians (PoC) Section in 2015-2018 and led the development and implementation of UNAMID’s PoC Strategy in Darfur in coordination with the military, police and civilian components of the Mission and with the UN agencies, funds and programmes.
James Demchsak
International Engagements Officer for Europe & Africa
 U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)

Mr. James Demchsak is the International Engagements Officer for Europe and Africa for the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). He is responsible for developing opportunities for U.S and foreign forces to partner together to conduct logistics in ways that are mutually beneficial. USTRANSCOM is the United States’ global command for logistics.
Habib Kambanga (Panel Chair)
Head - SADC Regional Early Warning Centre
 Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Habib Kambanga, has been working at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for 13 years as the Head of the Regional Early Warning Centre (REWC). The REWC was established to detect and monitor security threats to regional peace and security. Mr. Kambanga who is the first head of this centre since its establishment, was also instrumental in the process of developing the SADC Regional Counter Terrorism Strategy, and the Maritime Security Strategy adopted in 2011 and 2015 respectively to enhance the peace and security infrastructure of the region. Mr. Kambanga holds a Diploma in National Security (from Galilee International Management Institute -Israel), BA degree in Political Science (Osmania University –India), and Master’s in Strategic Studies from Aberdeen University in Scotland- UK.
Benjamin Chidyamoto
Chief Security Officer
 African Development Bank (AfDB)

Benjamin Chidyamoto is a recognised expert in central banking and international development banking security, an authority on African security dynamics with more than 30 years’ experience. Currently a Chief Security Officer with the African Development Bank (AfDB) at its Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with Continental security leadership responsibilities for the Group’s 34 country offices on the African Continent. Previously Benjamin has worked as Chief Security Officer for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Bank of Botswana, and Central Bank of Lesotho. Throughout his career, Benjamin has taken a broader view of Africa’s security dynamics and has always promoted a thesis that development brings peace and stability on the Continent. Benjamin has an MSc in Security Management, MA International Security and an Executive MBA. Professionally, he is a Board-Certified Protection Professional, CPP, Chartered Security Professional, CSyP; and a Fellow in Security Leadership, FSyL.
Elizabeth Ntue Mutunga
Head of Governance, Peace and Security
 Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Elizabeth Mutunga is the Head of Governance Peace and Security at the Secretariat of COMESA, a position she has held since April 2013. Prior to that, she served as the Conflict Early Warning Expert in the same organization. Prior to 2004 she worked with various organizations including the Africa Peace Forum. She is a holder of a MBA degree and a MSC degree from Canada and a BSc degree from the University of Nairobi. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Nairobi, Institute of Diplomacy. As the Head of Governance, Peace and Security, she manages the development and implementation of programmes including the Conflict Early Warning System (COMWARN), democracy and governance; mediation support and the establishment of a Committee of Elders. She is also overseeing the implementation the COMESA component of the Regional Maritime Security Programme designed to address money laundering and combating the financing of Terrorism.
Dr. Mark Wilkinson
Head of Projects,Department of Peace Operations (DPO)
 UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Iraq

Mark Wilkinson, Ph.D., the UNMAS (Iraq) Acting Head of Projects, has twenty years of professional experience in the military and HMA. As a former British Army Ammunition Technical Officer, he worked as a High Threat IEDD Operator in several operational environments before transitioning to HMA. His HMA experience has developed through time spent as an IEDD operator, then a Program Manager, before moving to UNMAS in late 2018. He is currently head of Projects with responsibility for delivery of the operational portfolio of UNMAS (Iraq). His academic background includes a master’s degree in global security and a Ph.D. in politics and international studies. His thesis on Arms Control and Intelligence has been published internationally as the book Before Intelligence Failed.