Research & Advisory Expertise

My work includes country assessments and political analysis for international academic and policy-oriented publications, including Brill's Africa Yearbook, the Yearbook on the African Union, and the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook.

As a contributor to Africa Yearbook, I produce annual assessments of political, diplomatic, and socioeconomic developments in Mauritania. This involves continuous monitoring of political events, maintaining a news archive throughout the year, and gathering information from official documents, economic indicators, local Arabic- and French-language media, international reporting, research publications, and personal contacts. Beyond documenting events, I draw on my knowledge of Mauritanian politics and its broader historical and institutional context to interpret developments and assess their significance.

My contributions to the Yearbook on the African Union and IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook extend this work to African regional diplomacy, continental institutions, and Mauritania's place in the broader Mediterranean region.

Core capabilities: Country political analysis · Political monitoring · Regional diplomacy · Institutional analysis · Multilingual research · Political trend assessment · Research synthesis · Strategic reporting

Selected Publications

Regional Political Monitoring & Research Communication

Sahel Research Group | University of Florida

Through my work with the University of Florida's Sahel Research Group, I contribute to the production of a weekly news brief covering political and security developments across the Sahel, with sustained coverage of Mauritania and Niger and occasional coverage of other countries in the region.

My responsibilities include monitoring regional developments, selecting and synthesizing relevant news, and preparing concise summaries that make complex political and security issues accessible to readers following developments in the region.

I also contribute to the group's research communication activities, including newsletter editing and publication, website updates, and dissemination of research and policy-related content.

Core capabilities: Regional political monitoring · News analysis and synthesis · Research communication · Editorial management · Policy-oriented reporting · Digital communications

Public Opinion Research & Quantitative Data Analysis

Afrobarometer | Research Consultant

As a research consultant with Afrobarometer, I analyze public opinion survey data using SPSS and produce research dispatches examining citizens' attitudes toward governance, political institutions, security, international relations, and social issues across African countries.

This work involves identifying patterns in survey data, interpreting findings in their political and social contexts, and communicating quantitative evidence through accessible, policy-oriented publications.

Core capabilities: Survey data analysis · SPSS · Public opinion research · Data interpretation · Policy-oriented research communication

Governance & Political Institutions Assessment

Freedom House | V-Dem | Bertelsmann Transformation Index

My work as a country analyst and expert contributor to Freedom House, the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, and the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) involves assessing political institutions, governance practices, democratic processes, and political rights.

These assignments require evaluating developments against established analytical frameworks, synthesizing evidence from multiple sources, and applying contextual knowledge to produce structured assessments of political and institutional conditions.

Core capabilities: Governance assessment · Institutional analysis · Political indicators · Evidence-based evaluation · Comparative political analysis

Qualitative Field Research & Stakeholder Analysis

Dissertation Research | Sahel and North Africa

My research draws on extensive fieldwork across Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Chad, including interviews with political actors, religious leaders, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders.

I have experience designing and conducting qualitative interviews, navigating politically sensitive research environments, analyzing primary-source material, and coordinating multilingual research teams. My dissertation research examines how jihadist insurgencies reshape state–religion relations and religious governance in the African Sahel.

Core capabilities: Qualitative research design · Stakeholder interviews · Fieldwork coordination · Contextual political analysis · Multilingual research