About
If you're curious about me...
My name is Emadeddin Badi. I am a consultant, researcher and policy professional specializing in the intersection of governance, security, and informal political economies across North Africa and the Sahel. My work explores how armed actors, hybrid security structures, and informal networks shape political transitions, state resilience, and stabilization efforts in fragile and conflict-affected environments. I bring over a decade of experience supporting international organizations, governments, and policy institutions through applied research, strategic advisory, and the design of conflict-sensitive interventions.
My areas of expertise include geopolitical and political economy analysis, security sector reform (SSR), civil-military coordination, and institutional transition in post-conflict and hybrid settings. I have worked extensively on armed group dynamics, the use of sanctions in fragile states, and the governance of informal and illicit markets—particularly in relation to migration, legitimacy, and international engagement strategies. I also advise private sector clients on due diligence and geopolitical risk in high-risk and transitional environments, primarily across the MENA region.
I currently serve as a Senior Fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), where I lead research on North Africa and the Sahel and contribute to both public analysis and confidential advisory support. I am also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where I advise on U.S. and European policy toward Libya and the broader region. My work has supported institutions including the United Nations Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).
In 2023, I served as Military Adviser to the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission to Libya, where I supported investigations into patterns of violence, armed group structures, and violations of international humanitarian law. I have also led peacebuilding initiatives, advised on local governance and decentralization, and managed field research in complex operating environments—including Libya’s Fezzan, Tunisia’s border regions, and Sahelian transit hubs.
My research and commentary have been published by Chatham House, Carnegie, Brookings, the Middle East Institute, Small Arms Survey, and the Washington Post. I am also a contributing author to Violence and Social Transformation in Libya (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2023). I provide regular analysis for international media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, France 24, and Al Jazeera, and frequently brief diplomats, development professionals, and academic audiences.
I hold an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS, University of London, and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Essex and the University of Tripoli. I am fluent in Arabic, English, and French.
Institutions I have personally worked with
