Suliman Baldo is the Executive Director of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker. He was previously a Senior Policy Advisor for the Enough Project, and directed the Sudan Democracy First Group, a Sudan-focused think tank aiming to help bring about faster democratization and peace to the war torn country. Starting August 2013, Baldo was vested with the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Mali. In 2010 and 2011, he provided expert advice to joint UN and African Union mediation teams on justice for victims of the conflict in Darfur and worked as an independent commissioner in the UN Independent Commission of Investigations into post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire. Between 1995 and 2013, Baldo served as Africa director at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), the Crisis Group, and Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch covering DR Congo and the Horn of Africa.

Binaifer Nowrojee is president of the Open Society Foundations, the world’s largest private funder working to promote human rights, equity, and justice. Nowrojee, an international human rights lawyer, previously served as vice president leading regional programs, the first regional director for the Asia-Pacific, and the founding director of the East Africa foundation—bringing extensive experience and expertise on the two continents through grant making, advocacy, research, and strategic litigation. Earlier in her career, Nowrojee was an investigator at Human Rights Watch, where she documented sexual violence during the genocide in Rwanda, helping secure the first ever convictions for genocide and rape as a weapon of war. She was also a lecturer at Harvard Law School and a fellow at Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights. Nowrojee holds a JD from Columbia Law School and an LLM from Harvard Law School.

Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations in September 2024, Dr Eze served as Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) from 2015 to 2024, having previously held the role of Program Director. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Peace and Strategic Studies, with more than 26 years of experience in peacebuilding, governance and security across Africa. Dr Eze led the development of South Sudan’s Early Warning System and its Election Early Warning System, and oversaw conflict early warning analysis for the African Union and ECOWAS. He has supported Track I mediation efforts, contributed to the African Union Mediation Manual, and served as Senior Adviser on Mediation and Political Dialogue to the UN in Guinea-Bissau. A recognised scholar and practitioner, he teaches peacebuilding at leading institutions and has published extensively on conflict prevention, mediation and democratic governance.

Brian Kagoro, MD of Programs at the Open Society Foundations, oversees a diverse global portfolio that advances the Foundations’ strategic priorities while ensuring its work remains balanced, inclusive, forward-looking and transformative. Previously, he served as Director of Justice and Intersectionality, leading Open Society’s global efforts to advance democratic freedoms, strengthen accountability for human rights abuses and address systemic inequalities. He developed strategies to confront abuses of power that undermine democratic governance and championed policies promoting equal rights and just outcomes for underserved communities, including pioneering initiatives on caste, racial and gender justice. Before this, Brian was Director of Programs in Open Society’s Africa Regional Office, where he played a central role in integrating intersectionality across the Foundations’ work on the continent. With over 24 years leadership experience, Brian is widely recognised for advancing democratic governance, human rights, social justice and inclusive policy reform across Africa and globally.

Mildred Thabane is a strategic communications and policy engagement specialist with more than 15 years of experience supporting governments, multilateral organisations, development institutions and civil society across Africa on governance, public policy, sustainable development and stakeholder engagement. She designs and facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogue processes that foster evidence-informed policy discussions, strengthen institutional collaboration and build consensus on complex governance challenges. Her work translates research and policy into strategic engagement that informs decision-making and advances inclusive development. Mildred has led strategic communications and stakeholder engagement for major continental initiatives spanning democratic governance, economic transformation, sustainability and social impact.

Bobi Odiko is a corporate communications specialist with over twenty years’ experience in Strategic Communications, Government Relations and Media Advisory across diverse sectors. He has delivered capacity building programs and technical support in media/ communications, supporting health and development, peace and security, youth, and civil society initiatives. Bobi has consulted widely for international organizations and was a regular columnist for a weekly regional newspaper. He currently consults for a global body in the food policy space overseeing strategic communications in a number of African countries. Bobi previously worked as Head of Communications at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and related regional institutions for over fifteen years, playing a crucial part in promotion of key pieces of legislation through political and corporate communications. Bobi who holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, is presently pursuing his doctorate studies.

Dr. Bridget Chipungu Chimbga is the Founder and Director of AI-RISE (Artificial Intelligence – Research, Innovation and Societal Education). Her work sits at the nexus of artificial intelligence and societal impact in Africa. A key pillar of her work explores the critical intersection between AI, governance, and Africa’s strategic mineral resources, examining how the extraction and use of critical minerals for AI infrastructure intersect with data sovereignty, environmental justice, and community rights. She drives policy dialogue, research, and advocacy to ensure the inclusive and rights-respecting development of AI systems across the continent. She holds a PhD in the Ethics of the Artificial Intelligence of Things from the University of Pretoria, an MSc in Telecommunications, and a BSc in Electrical Engineering.

Caroline Modise is the Sustainability Engagements Manager at De Beers Group. Drawing on extensive commercial experience managing relationships with some of the world’s leading diamond jewellery retailers, she now leads stakeholder engagement initiatives that advance social impact and sustainability objectives. Passionate about sustainable development in Africa, Caroline focuses on building strategic partnerships and supporting initiatives that create meaningful opportunities for communities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Rochester, New York, and an Executive MBA from Hult International Business School.

Kathleen is a seasoned communications and public affairs strategist with over 20 years of leadership experience across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With a strong background in journalism, advocacy, and digital media management, she has led impactful campaigns and strategies across the public, corporate, and development sectors. She currently leads the Digital arm at News Central TV, where she oversees end-to-end digital content strategy, multiplatform engagement, and revenue-focused digital transformation. She is also a Special News Correspondent covering breaking international news, geopolitical affairs, and policy across the Africa.

Mikhail Nyamweya is a Kenyan political analyst and research consultant specializing in democracy, governance, youth politics, elections, and East African affairs. He holds an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and serves as a Research Consultant at the European Partnership for Democracy, where he contributes to comparative research on youth political participation and democratic governance. His work examines political institutions, electoral integrity, regional integration, and the evolving international order, with a particular focus on East Africa. Mikhail has written extensively for leading regional and international publications and has contributed to policy research for governments, think tanks, and development partners. He is a frequent commentator on governance, foreign policy, and regional affairs, and regularly speaks at academic and policy forums across Africa and beyond.

Ing. Dr Kenneth Ashigbey is a seasoned leader in the mining and telecommunications sectors, currently serving as the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mine. His previous role as CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and Digital Chamber of Ghana. He earned a DBA in Corporate Governance from SMC University, an MBA from Leicester University (UK), and a BSc in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from UST. He recently graduated with an MA in IT Law. Kenneth is an avid advocate for media rights. He is the Convener for both the Ghana and Media Coalitions Against Galamsey. A passion he considers a call by Christ to live the Laudato Si. Kenneth is a fellow of the IoD Ghana, among others. He firmly believes in the potential of Africans, especially the youth. His conviction in the transformative power of African youth is a beacon of hope and inspiration for the future.

Pétronille Vaweka is a prominent leader in peacebuilding, mediation, and women’s empowerment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As Coordinator of the Centre for Women Engaged for Peace in Africa, she leads initiatives focused on dialogue, conflict prevention, social cohesion, and women’s participation. Expert in peace negotiations and dialogue facilitation, she has worked for more than twenty years in areas affected by armed violence, bringing together communities, authorities, and armed groups. A member of FemWise-Africa and the Rien Sans les Femmes movement, she advocates for women’s meaningful participation in peace processes and decision-making bodies. She served as a National Member of Parliament during the transition, chaired the Special Interim Assembly of Ituri in 2003, and became District Commissioner of Ituri in 2004. Her work contributed significantly to the province’s stabilization efforts. In 2023, she received the “Women Building Peace” Award from the United States Institute of Peace.

Rachael Mwikali Mueni is a Kenyan Pan-African feminist, Woman Human Rights Defender, community organizer, and community development advocate advancing democratic governance through grassroots leadership, feminist movement building, and community self-determination. She is the Co-Founder and Convener of the Coalition for Grassroots Human Rights Defenders–Kenya (CGHRD-K) and Co-Founder of the Pussy Power Movement, mobilizing communities to strengthen civic participation, accountability, and locally led solutions. With over a decade of experience, Rachael works at the intersection of human rights, gender justice, participatory governance, and movement building, promoting development approaches that shift power and resources to communities most affected by inequality. Her work champions Indigenous knowledge, reparative justice, feminist leadership, and community ownership as foundations for peaceful, inclusive, and accountable governance. She has engaged governments, African regional institutions, UN agencies, philanthropy, and civil society to influence policy and strengthen locally led development.

Chambi Chachage is an Assistant Professor in the Department of African Studies at Howard University, where he teaches Introduction to Contemporary Africa, Urban Development, Liberation Struggles in Southern Africa, and Continental and Regional Organizations. His research focuses on the political economy of natural resources, land rights, and governance of extractive industries. He has published on land dispossession and large-scale land investments. In 2016, he served as co-investigator in a Baseline Epidemiology Study on Tuberculosis, MDR TB, Silicosis and HIV among miners and ex-miners in Southern Africa for the University of the Witwatersrand’s Perinatal HIV Research Unit. His co-edited volume Africa’s Liberation: The Legacy of Nyerere addresses South-South solidarity and the Pan-African quest for a new global economic order, and his forthcoming book Africanizing Capital examines the global history of capitalism and entrepreneurship in Eastern Africa. He is also the founder of Udadisi.com, a digital multimedia company in Tanzania.

Amadou BAH is the Executive Director and founder of Action Mines Guinée (AMINES), a Guinean civil society organization promoting responsible mining, transparency, and sustainable natural resource governance. He has extensive experience in extractive sector governance, leading research, policy dialogue, and community engagement on mining, land governance, environmental protection, and the socio-economic impacts of large-scale mining projects in Guinea. Amadou is also a member of Guinea’s National Committee of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), where he contributes to advancing transparency, accountability, and multi-stakeholder dialogue. In addition, he coordinates the Collectif des Organisations de la Société Civile pour la Défense des droits des Communautés (CODEC), advocating for community rights and inclusive land and mining reforms. Throughout his career, he has worked with government institutions, civil society, mining companies, and international partners to strengthen governance and promote equitable, sustainable development in Guinea’s extractive sector.

Demba SEYDI is an expert in natural resource governance. He has a 15-year background in the natural resource governance, specially in Africa. With Resource Justice Network, Demba was the coordinator the Africa Working Group on critical minerals. Currently, Demba is working as Director of Programmes at CAJUST (Citoyens Actifs pour la Justice Sociale), a Senegalese national NGO working on tax, climate and natural resource governance. CAJUST mission is to empower citizens and communities to advance social justice in the context of climate change, energy, tax and natural resource governance. Before joining CAJUST in 2024, Demba worked as Extractive Industries Regional Programme Officer for Oxfam in West Africa; and as Senior Regional Coordinator for Resource Justice Network (former Publish What You Pay) in Francophone Africa (West and Central). Demba holds various specialist certifications, notably in strategic planning, project management, monitoring, evaluation and learning, natural resource governance, climate change and the energy

Dr Christian Pout is an internationally recognized expert on Africa’s peace, security and development nexus. He chairs CEIDES, Central Africa’s leading think tank, and is a Minister Plenipotentiary. He holds a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy from EHEI-CEDS Paris and an Executive Master in Management from HEC Paris. A Senior Researcher at International Relations Institute of Cameroon, he is Visiting Associate Professor at the Catholic Institute of Paris, where he leads the African Geopolitics Seminar, and a research associate of the Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies, Liverpool Hope University. He has advised UNDP, the Francophonie, the African Union, ISS and the Swiss FDFA, and currently chairs the Confidentiality Commission of the OPCW. His latest book, Eléments de référence pour un dialogue sur les Elections au Cameroun (2025), will be followed by Enjeux Diplomatiques et Stratégiques Africains (2026). He is a regular international media commentator.

Aua Baldé is an international human rights lawyer with over twenty years of professional experience in human rights, justice and institutional strengthening. She is a member and former Chair-Rapporteur of the UN WGEID, where she served as Rapporteur for the Working Group’s thematic study on Enforced Disappearances and Elections and led initiatives to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and the African human rights system. She holds a Ph.D. in Law from the Portuguese Catholic University and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Admitted to the Bars of Guinea-Bissau and Portugal, she has worked with the United Nations in Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire and the Central African Republic, and has collaborated with governments, African regional human rights institutions, UN entities and civil society organizations across Africa and beyond. Her work focuses on strengthening accountability, institutional cooperation and the effective use of international and African human rights mechanisms.

Prof. Adriano Alfredo Nuvunga is a Mozambican scholar, democracy and human rights advocate, and Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD). His work focuses on democratic governance, natural resource governance, critical minerals, business and human rights, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding across Southern Africa. He has led extensive policy research and advocacy on the governance of extractive industries, civic space, and the relationship between natural resources, conflict, and inclusive development, with particular attention to Mozambique’s critical minerals sector. Prof. Nuvunga serves as Chairperson of the Mozambican Human Rights Defenders Network (RMDDH) and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Voluntary Principles Initiative. He is also an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Eduardo Mondlane University and holds a PhD in International Relations from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Fr. Rigobert Minani Bihuzo S.J, Ph. D. leads the research, peace, human rights, democracy, and good governance practice at the Centre d’Etudes Pour l’Action Sociale (CEPAS) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He teaches at Loyola University of the Congo (LUC). Has been collaborating with San Egidio in peace talks in DRC since the Inter-Congolese Dialogue of 2002 in Sun City. He is the Secretary General of the Action Center for Executives and Managers in the DRC and a member of UNIAPAC. He has received several honors including a Woodrow Wilson Center fellowship (Washington 2020), the “Young Leaders Sasakawa Prize 2007” (Tokyo, 2008) and “Change Maker Award 2005” (DIAKONIA, Stockholm). His latest book is entitled Défis de la construction de la paix en RDC et engagement de l’Eglise. Fr. Minani holds several degrees, including a Ph.D. in political, social and economic sciences at the Catholic Institute of Paris (ICP).

Bright Simons is the President of mPedigree, a social enterprise operating across three continents to combat supply chain fraud through innovative, patent-pending technologies developed in partnership with governments, Fortune 500 companies, and grassroots organisations. He previously led pioneering biomedical sensor research at Koldchain through the Harvard Innovation Labs and spent over a decade leading research at IMANI, helping establish it as one of Africa’s top-ranked think tanks for innovation and impact. Bright serves on the boards of CARE International, Salzburg Global Seminar, and the Africa Population Health Research Center, and on the Sustainability Board of UCB. He has also served on the Microsoft Africa Advisory Council and the World Economic Forum’s Africa Strategy Group. A Tällberg Prize Laureate, TED Fellow, Aspen Braddock Scholar, and Young Global Leader, he was named one of Fortune magazine’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2016.

Ahmad Salkida is an award-winning Nigerian journalist, media executive, conflict analyst, and peacebuilding advocate with more than 25 years of experience covering armed conflict, violent extremism, governance, humanitarian crises, accountability, and development across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. He is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Editor-in-Chief of HumAngle Media, a leading African investigative journalism and conflict reporting organisation recognised for its coverage of security, displacement, human rights, civic intelligence, and community resilience across the Sahel. Over his career, he has produced more than 5,000 reports, investigations, analyses, and feature stories that have informed policy discussions, humanitarian responses, peacebuilding efforts, and public understanding of complex security challenges. Recognised as a leading authority on insurgency dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin, he has advised humanitarian agencies, diplomats, researchers, policymakers, and peacebuilding organisations on conflict resolution, humanitarian access, human rights, and community engagement.

Ibbo Mandaza is a Zimbabwean academic, author and publisher. A former member of the Zimbabwe liberation movement and one of the founding civil servants at independence in 1980, he is now a convenor of the SAPES Trust Policy Dialogue Forum, a veritable and influential platform that enjoys membership across the African continent and its diaspora.