Current Technical Committee Members

Prof David Monyae is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Johannesburg, and Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg. He is an international relations and foreign policy expert, with a PhD in International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand. Prof Monyae previously served as Section Manager: International Relations Policy Analysis in the National Assembly providing strategic management, parliamentary foreign policy formulation, and monitoring & analysis services. He also worked as a policy analyst at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and taught International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand. He has published widely and is a respected political analyst featured in national and international media.

Dr. Dawit Toga is an experienced international civil servant with over twenty years of expertise in conflict prevention, mediation, and peacekeeping across Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa. He holds an MA from the New School for Social Research, and an M. Phil in international Security as well as a Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University (1999), in New York.

Since 2019, he has been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London, where he is completing a book manuscript on UN mediation in Libya, mentoring fellows, and participating in academic conferences. Between 2018 and 2019, he served as a consultant for the Institute for Peace and Security Studies in Addis Ababa, contributing to the State of Peace and Security in Africa and the lead author on the political dynamics in the Horn of Africa for the Tana High Level Forum.

The core of Dr. Toga’s career was spent at the African Union Commission (2002–2018) as a Senior Political Analyst in the Peace and Security Department. He served as the main Focal Point on Libya, acting as political advisor to the AU High Representative, attending stakeholder meetings, and coordinating the Quartet on Libya (AU, EU, UN, Arab League). He was also Focal Point for South Sudan, advising the AU High Representative and participating in IGAD-led peace talks. As Coordinator for the AU High Level Panel on Egypt, he facilitated the work for three former heads of state, engaged with Egyptian leaders including Mohamed Morsi, Abdel Fattah el- Sisi, as well as wide ranging civil society representatives.

Earlier, he coordinated the activities of the AU High Level Panel on Darfur, under former president Thabo Mbeki. He also served as political advisor to the AU Special Envoy during the Zimbabwe inter-party political talks in Pretoria in 2008. He was also a member of the AU mediation team during the Darfur peace talks in Abuja (2004–2006), as well as the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement negotiations in Naivasha, Machakos, and Nairobi (2002–2005). Dr. Toga has published a chapter on AU mediation in Darfur (Harvard University Press, 2007), and has an unpublished manuscript on the AU and the Libyan revolution, in addition to his ongoing work on the UN-AU mediation in Libya.

Seydina Moussa Ndiaye is the Head of ALIVE (AI Living lab for Innovation and Viable Ethical policies and systems) multidisciplinary research group at Université Numérique Cheikh Hamidou Kane (UNCHK). Within the university, he is also Director of the FORCE-N program, which aims to create/improve 70,000 jobs in the digital sector by 2027.

Seydina is an expert to the AUDA-NEPAD for the drafting of the Pan-African White Paper on AI and to the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI). He was also a member of the former UN Secretary- General’s High-Level Advisory Body on AI. For UNESCO, Seydina is a member of several groups: High-Level Expert Group on AI Governance at the Ecosystem Level, AI Ethics Experts Without Borders, and International Advisory Group for the development of a MOOC on Ethics of AI (project with LG AI Research). He is member of the Board of Directors of CEIMIA (The Montreal International Center of Expertise in Artificial Intelligence) and of the Steering Committee of Masakhane African Languages Hub.

At a national level, he supported the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, piloting the digital transformation of the Senegalese higher education system, notably by coordinating the acquisition of Senegal’s TAOUEY supercomputer. He was also a member of several bodies, including the National Commission on Cryptology, the Digital Technology Park Project Steering Committee, the Board of Directors of SENUM SA, and he is President of the Senegalese Association for AI. Seydina has supported the Senegalese government in the conceptualization of national AI and data strategies. Seydina holds a PhD in Computer Science, with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence (Université Paul Sabatier), and an MBA (IAE Paris Sorbonne).

Philip Attuquayefio is a Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana, Legon. Dr Attuquayefio has extensive experience in the design and implementation of strategies and support for political processes. From August 2018 to December 2022, he coordinated the African Union Commission’s support for the Lake Chad Basin Regional Stabilization Strategy. Prior to that, in 2017, he coordinated the AU long-term election observers as part of the AU Elections Observation Mission to Kenya 2017. Philip has extensive experience in teaching training and capacity building, particularly in designing and facilitating modules on human Security Management in Africa, Countering Violent Extremism and Humanitarian Development and Peace Nexus. Dr. Attuquayefio has published extensively in local and international outlets and holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and a Doctorate in Political Science specialising in. institutions and human security.

Njoya is the Director of the UNDP Sub-Regional Office for West and Central Africa and the Resident Representative of UNDP in Senegal. In this capacity, he represents, leads, and is accountable for, harnessing and directing the full potential of UNDP’s global capabilities, and those of its associated funds and programmes, in support of national development strategies and collaborative partnership. He also coordinates UNDP’s regional policy and programmatic support to 24 country offices, regional institutions, and development partners in West and Central Africa. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Regional Office for East and Southern Africa at United Nations Volunteers (UNV). Njoya led the UNV’s East and Southern Africa organizational transformation and established an entirely new and effective regional team and operation in 23 countries. Before this, he served with UNDP in different capacities, including as Regional Policy and Programme Advisor on Anti-Corruption and Economic Governance at the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Prior to this, Njoya served with UNDP in Liberia, South Sudan, the Regional Bureau for Africa and the Bureau for Development Policy in New York. Before joining UNDP, Njoya worked as an attorney and served as a Senior Human Rights Fellow at the Human Rights Institute, Columbia University School of Law. He also served as a Legal Associate at the African Services Committee and as Co-founder and Director for the Centre for Public Interest Law in Cameroon.

Njoya is a World Fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University, USA and holds an LLM in Law from Columbia University School of Law, an LLM in International Business Law from the Central European University, and a Licence and Maitrise en Droit from the University of Yaoundé II SOA.

Cynthia Chigwenya is a pracademic with experience in research, policymaking and youth-inclusive governance. Her work focuses on transitional justice and youth, peace, and security (YPS), with contributions that shaped regional initiatives such as the adoption of the Bujumbura Declaration on YPS in Africa and the development of National Action Plans (NAPs) across Southern Africa. She served as the African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace (2022–2024) and has briefed the United Nations Security Council on future-proofing trust for security and governance. Cynthia previously held research roles in the South African Parliament and at the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide in Rwanda, and coordinated the Political Dialogue Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, a German political foundation. Recognised among MIPAD’s Global 100 Under 40 in Politics and as a TEDx speaker, she serves on the Tana Forum Technical Committee and the advisory council of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership and Security Studies with the University of Pretoria and King’s College and leads research on the United Nations Youth Compass as a Consultant at the Club of Rome.

Faten Aggad is the Chief of Staff of the Cabinet of the Deputy Chairperson at the African Union Commission. She is also the founder of and Executive Director of the African Future Policies Hub (AFPH). Faten previously served as a Panel Member of the African High Level Panel on the Reforms of the Multilateral System, Senior Advisor on Climate Diplomacy and Geopolitics at the African Climate Foundation, Senior Advisor to the African Union High Representative on future relations with the European Union supporting African countries and the African Union in negotiations with the European Union. She has experience working for multiple think tanks as well as multilateral agencies.

Ruth Bolline Aluoch has worked with the UN since 2019. She is a Political/ Gender Affairs officer in the Department of Peace Operations, Office of the Under Secretary General. Responsible for gender analysis and integration, Accountability and reporting frameworks, and mission backstopping for DRC (MONUSCO) and South Sudan (UNMISS) Abyei (UNISFA) alongside OROLSI files. Prior to that Ruth was with the Mediation Support Unit (DPPA)- covered Somalia, Mozambique, and also worked as Directing Staff – Research Training & Education for UN & AU missions at the International Peace Support Training Centre with extensive career working with governments in Africa region- legislations policies and treaties and mentoring uniformed personnel in fragile states.

Ruth holds a Master’s in International Peace and Security Kings College London, Bachelor of Law Moi University Eldoret, Diploma in Development Diplomacy in Peace and Security Policies, Integrated Crisis Management, Leadership and Society her areas of expertise include Mediation, Security, Democratic Governance, Elections, Rule of Law & Human Right and Gender -grounded in policy, research and education for strategy and operations.

Fellow of the African Leadership Centre-Kings College London, Salzburg Fellow on Holocaust and Genocide Prevention, Member of AU Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FEMWISE)

Publications:

• Youth participation in Peace process- a case study of South Sudan (under review)
• Dilemma of to Protect and Genocide Prevention in the Great Lakes Region –Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies Vol 4 Issue 1 of April 2018.
• The Challenge of R2P in the Great Lakes Region  annoted version published by “The Diplomat” –The diplomatic & Consular  Quarterly -Uganda Foreign Affairs Magazine @P2017 Special edition. http://www.mofa.go.ug/files/downloads/Diplomatic%20Magazine.pdf
• Aluoch R. B. A.( 2015) Securitisation: Status of migrants and cross order passage Case of South Africa-Published by Journal of Multi-Cultural Studies Johannesburg
• Aluoch R. B. A.( 2014) The Paradox of Sanctions Regime in Sudan Insight on Africa 7(1) 1–13© 2014 African Studies Association of India SAGE Publications Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC http://ioa.sagepub.com
• Karbo, T., & Aluoch, R. B. A. (2012). Stalled democracy in Africa: the pitfalls for AU Governance Agenda. African Renaissance: Democratic peace versus democratic conflict in Africa, 9(3 & 4), 63-79.http://www.sabinet.co.za/abstracts/aa_afren/aa_afren_v9_n3_4_a5.html
• Paper on ‘CSOs and government collaboration in Peace building and Conflict Management .Case-study Kenya,’ for the IGAD Conference on Year of Peace and Security; 2010

Aya Chebbi, is a Pan-African feminist and diplomat whose mission is the liberation of African women and girls. She rose to prominence as a voice for democracy during 2010/2011 Tunisia’s Revolution. She impacted over one million young people while serving as the first ever African Union Special Envoy on Youth and the youngest diplomat at the Chairperson’s Cabinet (2018 – 2021).  She is currently the Founder and President of Nalafem Collective, one of Africa’s largest multigenerational platforms of women politicians and activists united towards transformative feminist change. She holds Bachelors in International Relations from University of Tunis El Manar and Masters in African Politics from SOAS, University of London. She also served on the World Refugee Council, WHO Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, Progressive International Council, Oxfam Independent Commission on Sexual Misconduct, among others which produced trailblazing reports in the humanitarian, gender and development fields. She received the Gates Campaign Award and was named in Forbes Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women.

Don Deya is a distinguished legal practitioner and executive leader with extensive expertise in international law, international organisations, continental governance, strategic litigation, and human and peoples’ rights. As Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), he leads initiatives that promote the rule of law, build continental unity, strengthen institutional integrity, and advance economic development and corporate accountability across Africa.

A highly regarded Pan-Africanist legal professional, he regularly litigates at several African international courts and tribunals. He also actively contributes to global legal discourse, engaging with bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) on issues of justice, governance and rights.

He holds prominent leadership and advisory roles across several national, regional and international organizations: –

• Chairperson, International Coalition on the Responsibility to Protect (ICR2P)
• Chairperson, Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC)
• Member of the Governing Council, Society for International Development (SID)
• Chairperson, Stop the Bleeding Consortium (STB-C)
• Global Board Member, African Artificial Intelligence Governance Foundation (AAGF)
• Steering Committee (and Former Chair), Member, African Court Coalition (ACC)
• Technical Committee Member, Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa
• Board Member, Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), Kenya  
• Board Member, Katiba Institute, Kenya
• Board Member, AROSE Africa Foundation