Who We Are
Balqiis is a non-partisan, independent research and policy institution working on peace, security, and human rights across the Horn of Africa. We are headquartered in Mogadishu and supported by a strong network of partners across the region and internationally. We believe that credible analysis of this region must be rooted in it.
We were founded on a conviction that is straightforward but not simple: that the Horn of Africa needs institutions that listen carefully, think freely, and act on evidence — with genuine concern for the people most affected by the issues they work on, and the independence to act on that concern.
That conviction shaped every decision we made about how to build Balqiis. It still does.
Why Balqiis was Founded
The Horn of Africa has no shortage of research or analysis. What it has lacked are institutions that produce that knowledge from within the region on local terms, with local accountability, and with the freedom to say difficult things when the evidence demands it.
The constraints on that kind of independence are real and well understood by anyone working in this space. The pressure to stay within acceptable narratives — whether from governments, funders, or the broader architecture of the international peace and security sector — is not theoretical. It is a daily operational reality. And too often, the cost of that pressure is paid by the communities whose interests the work is supposed to serve.
We have structured ourselves to maintain that independence as we grow — not because we are against partnership or collaboration, but because we believe institutions that take counsel widely, weigh evidence carefully, and remain free to publish honest findings are genuinely rare and genuinely needed in this region.
We also made a deliberate choice to build Balqiis outside the frameworks that typically come with structural constraints on voice and analysis — not from indifference to those frameworks, but from a clear-eyed assessment of what they cost. In an environment where the space for local, independent voice is shrinking, structural freedom is foundational for Balqiis.
How We Work
We do not arrive with predetermined conclusions. We begin with questions shaped by what communities, practitioners, and policymakers tell us matters; and we follow the evidence from there. We take counsel broadly, across perspectives and across the region, before we draw conclusions or make recommendations. And we are willing to sit with complexity rather than resolve it prematurely into a clean narrative that serves no one’s actual interests.
Through rigorous research, opinion polling, and policy analysis, we generate evidence on the structural drivers of insecurity and injustice across the Horn. We translate that evidence into policy dialogue, public discourse, and practical programs that support change at local, national, and regional levels. We complement our research with education, coaching, training, and mentoring — building the capacity of individuals and organisations working on peace and security across the region.
Our work is organised around four strategic pillars: participation and leadership; protection and rights; resilience and adaptation; and governance, institutional integrity, and reform.
How We Are Built
Balqiis is structured as an independent professional institution. This was a deliberate choice. We believe the Horn of Africa needs institutions that are of the region, accountable to the region, and free to serve the region’s long-term interests — institutions that can weigh the evidence, speak clearly, and remain guided above all by what is genuinely good for the people who live here. That is what we are building.
To advance peace, security, and human rights across the Horn of Africa through independent research, honest analysis, and practical action — free from political constraint and grounded in local realities.
Enduring peace, human security, and dignity for all communities across the Horn of Africa.
We communicate our findings truthfully and objectively. We present evidence without bias or political influence.
We protect our analytical freedom as a core institutional responsibility. We do not allow for undue influence to determine what we research, what we publish, or what we say.
We are accountable to the communities most affected by the issues we work on. The measure of our work is whether it serves people.
We investigate complex regional challenges with rigour and openness. We pursue the questions others avoid and follow the evidence wherever it leads.
Behind every piece of analysis is a recognition that the issues we work on are not abstract. They are lived by real people in real communities. That recognition shapes not just what we study but how we study it and what we do with what we find.
Research that does not contribute to change is not enough. We focus on translating independent research into practical, inclusive solutions that drive positive change across the Horn of Africa
We operate openly in our methods, our partnerships, and our decision-making, maintaining independence and trust in all our engagements.
Across all our work, Balqiis is committed to centering women’s voices, leadership, and participation as essential to durable peace and security. We recognise that inclusive peace cannot be built without the meaningful involvement of women at every level — from community dialogue to national policy. It is woven into how we design our research, our programs, and our partnerships.
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Co-Founder and Head of Research and Policy
Deputy Director and Head of Operations
Project Lead and Researcher
Communication Officer
Title
Title
Title
Title
Balqiis was co-founded by twin sisters who spent decades on opposite sides of the same problem — one inside Somalia’s national security apparatus, the other across peacebuilding, prevention, and civil society — and decided to build something that could hold both
Balqiis works in close collaboration with a network of regional and international partners — including research institutions, civil society organisations, government bodies, and international agencies — who share our commitment to peace, security, and human rights across the Horn of Africa.
Balqiis advances peace, security, and human rights across the Horn of Africa through research, dialogue, and action.