Andualem “Andu” Sisay Gessesse: Executive Director – Continental Operations, Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Andualem Sisay Gessesse, widely known as Andu, is an award-winning business and investigative journalist, researcher, and entrepreneur with about two decades of experience examining political, legal, and reputational risks across Africa.
He is the founder and Executive Director of Africa Risk Control (ARC), where he oversees continental operations and coordinates a growing network of investigative & business journalists and researchers in over 32 African countries. Through ARC, he provides clients—including investors, non-governmental organizations, corporations, and public offices—with deep due diligence, corporate intelligence, and market risk analysis.
Andu is also the founder of NewBusinessEthiopia.com, a leading English-language business news platform established in 2009. His career reflects a consistent focus on uncovering hidden ownership structures, political exposures, regulatory shifts, and reputational risks, while helping organizations make well-informed decisions in complex and dynamic African markets.
Respected for his integrity and cross-border expertise, Andu continues to shape the due diligence and corporate intelligence landscape in Africa by combining investigative journalism with actionable business insights.
Email: [email protected]
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Estácio Valoi: Portuguese-Speaking Africa Desk Chief – Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Estácio Valoi is an award-winning investigative journalist and founder of Moz24h Newspaper as well as co-founder of the Mozambican Investigative Journalism Centre. Based in Mozambique, he has spent over a decade uncovering environmental crimes, illicit mining, and cross-border trafficking networks impacting Southern Africa.
Valoi’s groundbreaking investigations have exposed poaching syndicates, timber and gemstone smuggling, and governance failures linked to extractive industries. His fieldwork has often placed him at personal risk, including direct confrontations with security forces and corporate interests. His reporting has been featured internationally by outlets such as DW, Reuters Foundation, SABC, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, CNN, and The Washington Post.
Beyond journalism, Valoi serves as a trainer, consultant, and researcher, collaborating with institutions such as the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Amnesty International, the Environmental Investigative Agency, and the Institute for Security Studies. He has also advised Oxpeckers on regional environmental investigations.
At Africa Risk Control, Valoi leads the Portuguese-Speaking Africa Desk, where he applies his investigative expertise of risk intelligence on extractives, governance, environmental security, and organized crime across Lusophone African countries.
Email: [email protected]
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Mahamat Ramadane: Central Africa Desk Chief – Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Mahamat Ramadane is a seasoned journalist with over a decade of professional experience across print and broadcast media. Based in Chad, he has worked extensively as a senior field reporter for leading international media outlets and news agencies, gaining recognition for his insightful reporting across Central Africa.
Throughout his career, Ramadane has built a trusted network of contacts across the region, enabling him to deliver on-the-ground intelligence in complex political and security environments. His work has covered conflict dynamics, governance challenges, and regional affairs with accuracy and integrity.
In addition to his reporting, he has developed a strong reputation as a fact-checker, dedicating recent years to combating disinformation and strengthening media credibility across Central Africa. This expertise positions him as a reliable source for nuanced perspectives on high-risk environments.
At Africa Risk Control, Ramadane leads the Central Africa Desk, where he coordinates intelligence-gathering and analysis to support investors, organizations, and institutions navigating reputational, political, and security risks in the region.
Email: [email protected]
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Patrick Mayoyo: ARC Nairobi Desk Chief – Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Patrick Mayoyo is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and founder of Eyewitness Media Group in Mombasa, Kenya. With extensive experience covering social justice, environmental, and climate change issues, he has built a reputation for producing high-impact, insightful reporting that drives public awareness and policy action across East Africa.
Over the years, Mayoyo has received numerous prestigious journalism awards, including the US National Academies Eric & Wendy Awards for Excellence in Science Communications (2022), the UNCA Global Prize for Climate Change Coverage (2018 & 2021), the CNN MultiChoice African Awards (2014, Environment Category), and the European Commission Lorenzo Natali Media Prize (2015). His work reflects a deep commitment to uncovering governance gaps, environmental threats, and social inequalities, often under challenging field conditions.
Beyond journalism, Mayoyo has led strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting at his media company, demonstrating strong leadership, analytical, and operational skills. He collaborates with regional and international organizations to provide actionable insights and promote sustainable development initiatives.
At Africa Risk Control, Patrick heads the Nairobi Desk, applying his investigative expertise to deliver tailored due diligence, risk intelligence, and advisory services across Kenya and the broader East African region.
Email: M[email protected]
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Ameni Mejri: North Africa Desk Chief – Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Ameni Mejri is a seasoned journalist and media professional based in Tunis, Tunisia, with extensive experience covering economic, business, and policy developments across North Africa. She currently works with Managers, reporting on investment trends, corporate news, and regional economic affairs.
Trained in accounting, Ameni combines analytical rigor with journalistic storytelling, enabling her to explain complex economic and business topics in a clear, accessible manner. Her multidisciplinary background strengthens her ability to assess companies, markets, and investment opportunities effectively.
She is also active in mentoring young professionals and engaging with initiatives that foster innovation and business development in the region.
As ARC’s North Africa Desk Chief, Ameni brings her deep understanding of the region’s economic landscape, networks, and media insights to provide clients with accurate, timely, and actionable intelligence. Her work ensures that ARC’s analyses and recommendations are grounded in real-world developments across North Africa.
Email: [email protected]
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Abdullah Vawda – Southern Africa Desk Chief, Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Abdullah Vawda is a governance and strategic advisory specialist with extensive experience across Southern Africa. Based in South Africa, he combines expertise in communications, media management, and institutional development to support civil society, policymakers, and professional networks in strengthening transparency and accountability across the region. Some of the companies he served includes IPS News, Islamic Relief Worldwide, ActionAid International, and FAIR.
A defining period in his career was his tenure as Executive Director of the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) in 2012–2013. There, he coordinated Africa’s leading investigative journalists, facilitating cross-border investigations into corruption, illicit financial flows, and governance failures. His leadership advanced investigative journalism while cementing his reputation as a trusted advocate for accountability and professional development.
Beyond FAIR, Vawda has provided governance advisory and institutional strengthening to public and private sector organizations. He supports clients on compliance, regulatory frameworks, and governance strategies, particularly in high-risk industries such as extractives, finance, and infrastructure in Southern Africa.
At Africa Risk Control, he leads the Southern Africa Desk, overseeing due diligence, intelligence gathering, and corporate investigations. Leveraging his strategic experience and robust network, he delivers credible, actionable insights to clients investing or expanding in one of Africa’s most complex markets.
Email: [email protected]
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Charles Kay Mark (Bogere): Juba Desk Chief – Africa Risk Control (ARC)
Charles Kay Mark (Bogere) is a seasoned journalist and media consultant with extensive experience in reporting, media production, and community engagement across South Sudan. Currently a reporter at No. 1 Citizen Daily, he investigates and reports on local and national issues, combining fieldwork, interviews, and research to uncover stories that inform the public and promote accountability.
Over the years, Charles has held leadership roles in multiple media outlets, including Station Manager at Terab Radio 87.6 FM, Program Manager at Community Media Network South Sudan (CoMNeTSS), and Deputy Managing Director at Radio Bakhita 91.0 FM. These roles have strengthened his expertise in program coordination, team leadership, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity building for community media.
He is skilled in research, planning, reporting, photography, editing, and story writing, and is fluent in English, Arabic, and Luganda. Charles has a diploma in Mass Communication from Kampala University and is completing his bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies at Team University Uganda.
At Africa Risk Control, Charles leads the Juba Desk, leveraging his investigative and media expertise to provide clients with actionable risk intelligence, due diligence, and advisory services tailored to South Sudan and the neighbouring countries.
Email: [email protected]
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Dieudonné Bukuru – Desk Chief, ARC Bujumbura Dieudonné Bukuru is an experienced journalist and analyst with nearly a decade of professional work across print, radio, television, and online media in Burundi and the wider Great Lakes region. He specializes in economic and financial reporting, focusing on debt management, development finance, and regional integration issues in Africa.
A co-founder of the Burundi Economic Journalists Network (REJEBU), Dieudonné has collaborated with institutions such as AFRODAD, UNDP, and the U.S. Embassy in Burundi to strengthen media coverage of economic governance and public finance. His reports have been featured through international media networks including M-DNA (Media Debt Network Africa).
He currently serves as Director of Radio UHURU, in addition to his role as Desk Chief for ARC Bujumbura, where he coordinates intelligence collection, country analysis, and risk reporting across Burundi and the neighbouring countries.
Dieudonné holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Burundi and multiple certifications in economic journalism from programs held in Johannesburg, Abidjan, Accra, and Dakar.
Email: [email protected]
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Keabetswe Ndiye Newel – ARC Gaborone Desk Chief
Keabetswe Ndiye Newel is an accomplished business and investigative journalist based in Gaborone, Botswana, with extensive experience in economic reporting and newsroom leadership. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Business Weekly & Review, one of Botswana’s leading business publications.
Over the past decade, Keabetswe has built a distinguished career across major media houses including Mmegi Newspapers, Botswana Press Agency (BOPA), Botswana Guardian, The Midweek Sun, and The Botswana Gazette. His professional journey from reporter to senior editor and now editor-in-chief reflects his dedication to journalistic excellence, integrity, and analytical depth in covering finance, corporate governance, and economic policy.
In his role as ARC Gaborone Desk Chief, Keabetswe contributes his deep understanding of Botswana’s business environment and investigative acumen to support Africa Risk Control’s mission of delivering reliable intelligence and due diligence across Africa. His expertise provides invaluable insights for investors seeking to navigate the Botswana market with confidence.
As ARC Gaborone Desk Chief, he also oversees assignments in Botswana, Namibia, and other neighbouring Southern African countries, ensuring quality research and coordinated field intelligence that strengthen ARC’s regional coverage and investor advisory capabilities.
Email: [email protected]
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