IBRAHIM KHADAR

Senior Policy and Legal Advisor

Hargeisa, SO.

About

Seasoned legal expert with over 10 years of experience in policy development, governance reform, and human rights advocacy, dedicated to advancing justice at national and international levels. Proven leader in orchestrating complex legal reforms, developing comprehensive training programs, and fostering accountability across diverse justice sector stakeholders. Drives impactful policy initiatives, ensuring constitutional compliance and integrating international human rights standards to enhance equitable access to justice for millions.

Work

Ministry of Justice

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Director of Legal and Policy Affairs

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

May 2025→ May 2024

Summary

Leads the strategic development and implementation of national legal and policy frameworks, ensuring constitutional compliance and international standards integration within the justice sector.

Highlights

Orchestrated the annual development of 8+ national legal frameworks, successfully harmonizing constitutional provisions with international standards across justice sector stakeholders.

Achieved 100% constitutional compliance across all legislative instruments, integrating 15+ international human rights treaties into domestic legal architecture.

Directed 12+ cross-sectoral policy initiatives impacting over 3 million citizens, coordinating comprehensive justice reforms across 6 regional administrative jurisdictions.

Ministry of Justice

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Director of Prisons and Human Rights Affairs

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Nov 2020→ May 2024

Summary

Directed comprehensive reforms in prison management and human rights, enhancing institutional alignment with international standards and expanding access to justice for vulnerable populations.

Highlights

Spearheaded the harmonization of 25+ justice policies, achieving a 20% improvement in institutional alignment with UN human rights standards within 18 months.

Facilitated 40+ multi-stakeholder consultations involving 200+ participants, resulting in 18 comprehensive legal instruments adopted by the national legislature.

Strengthened access to justice for over 50,000 vulnerable citizens by providing technical counsel on 15 legislative reforms focused on marginalized populations.

Architected the National Legal Aid Policy and drafted the Legal Aid Bill, expanding legal representation access for 30,000 indigent defendants annually.

Enhanced institutional capacity by designing 12 specialized training programs, building technical expertise for 450+ justice professionals across 8 institutions.

Conducted 8 comprehensive prison assessments covering 2,400+ inmates, directly informing the development of the Somaliland Prison Act and national rehabilitation framework.

Optimized inter-agency collaboration across 5 government entities and 8 international partners, reducing reporting lag by 30% through standardized MEAL protocols.

University of Hargeisa

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Senior Lecturer

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Apr 2019→ May 2024

Summary

Facilitates advanced legal education and curriculum design, mentoring students in legal research and bridging the theory-practice gap within Somaliland's justice system.

Highlights

Facilitate advanced legal education for over 220 undergraduate and graduate students annually, consistently maintaining a 92% course completion rate across three programs.

Designed three specialized curricula, including Legal Research Methodology, Media Law, and Legal Ethics, integrating 25+ case studies from Somaliland jurisprudence.

Bridged the theory-practice gap by supervising 60+ student research projects analyzing real-world legal challenges within Somaliland's hybrid justice system.

Ministry of Justice

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Legal Advisor

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Oct 2019→ Oct 2020

Summary

Spearheaded legal framework reviews and ensured constitutional compliance, integrating international conventions and providing critical counsel for Cabinet-level decision-making.

Highlights

Spearheaded the review of 15+ legal frameworks, ensuring constitutional compliance and harmonization with East African Community legal standards and protocols.

Ensured 100% constitutional compliance across 20+ legislative drafts, integrating 10 international conventions into domestic legal architecture within 12 months.

Provided technical counsel on 8 priority legislative reforms, directly supporting Cabinet-level decision-making on criminal justice and human rights policies.

MASAF

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Program Manager

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Dec 2018→ Sep 2019

Summary

Managed a $2.5M development program, ensuring financial accountability, donor compliance, and on-time delivery of 15 project activities.

Highlights

Directed a $2.5M development program budget, managing financial resources across 15 project activities while ensuring 100% donor compliance and accountability.

Achieved 100% adherence to INGO quality standards across 8 program deliverables, successfully passing all external audits without findings or qualifications.

Implemented 12+ corrective actions through adaptive management, mitigating 85% of identified risks and maintaining on-time delivery for all milestones.

Centre For Policy Analysis (CPA)

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Research Team Leader

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Jan 2016→ Aug 2017

Summary

Led a 5-member research team, producing 14 evidence-based policy reports and presenting findings to 30+ international stakeholders.

Highlights

Managed a cross-functional 5-member research team, producing 14 evidence-based policy reports on electoral integrity and legal trends for international stakeholders.

Employed mixed-methods research designs, presenting findings to over 30 international stakeholders, including UN agencies, the EU delegation, and bilateral donors.

Modernized research methodologies by introducing digital data collection tools, increasing research efficiency by 40% and improving data quality standards.

Ministry of Justice

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Coordinator of Parole Program

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Aug 2014→ Dec 2016

Summary

Oversaw national parole system operations, coordinating rehabilitation services for 350+ offenders and managing regional committees for reintegration decisions.

Highlights

Oversaw national Parole System operations, coordinating rehabilitation services for 350+ offenders annually across 6 regional committees and 4 facilities.

Coordinated 6 regional parole committees, conducting 480+ case reviews annually and facilitating reintegration decisions with a 75% successful completion rate.

Compiled 28 monthly performance reports and 8 annual assessments, disseminating key findings to Ministry leadership and 12 partner organizations.

Organized logistics for 72+ committee meetings, managing travel coordination and venue arrangements while facilitating partnerships with 8 civil society organizations.

Al Nour Charity Organization

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Executive Director

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Jan 2013→ Dec 2014

Summary

Directed daily operations of a humanitarian organization serving 1,200+ beneficiaries, ensuring strategic reporting and policy compliance.

Highlights

Directed daily operations of a humanitarian organization serving over 1,200 beneficiaries, providing quarterly strategic reports to a 7-member Board of Trustees.

Formulated 12 administrative policies covering HR, finance, and program management, achieving full compliance with national NGO regulatory frameworks.

Managed three assistance programs supporting 800+ orphans and children with disabilities, distributing $180,000 annually in educational and livelihood support.

Allocated emergency assistance to 500+ impoverished families across 4 regions, providing critical food security and livelihood support during humanitarian crises.

Jamhuuriya Media Group (JMG)

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Editor

Hargeisa, Somaliland, Somalia

Jan 2009→ Sep 2014

Summary

Edited 1,500+ articles annually for a leading daily newspaper, ensuring journalistic integrity, expanding audience reach, and maintaining legal compliance.

Highlights

Edited over 1,500 articles, features, and investigative reports annually for a leading daily newspaper, maintaining high editorial standards and journalistic integrity.

Translated 800+ English news reports into Somali, expanding audience reach by 60% and ensuring information accessibility for monolingual readership.

Composed 250+ featured articles on legal affairs and current events, establishing a distinct editorial voice and increasing reader engagement by 35%.

Edited 180+ editorials, ensuring 100% compliance with national media laws and successfully navigating a complex legal environment without publication suspensions.

Education

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Bachelor Laws Grade:

Master of Laws (LLM) in Comparative Public Law and Good Governance

Aug 2019→ Jul 2021

Master of Laws (LLM) Comparative Public Law and Good Governance Grade:

Master of Peace and Conflict Studies

Sep 2013→ Sep 2015

Master Peace and Conflict Studies Grade:

Publications

Multiple Election Monitoring Reports

CPA

Quantitative Baseline IAAAP Survey

BBC Media Action Somalia

Leading Consultant

Analysis of the Draft Law on Freedom of Press of Somaliland

Jan 2019

Balancing Right to Freedom of Expression with Right to Privacy for Public Officials

Jan 2019

From War to Peace: Somaliland Newspaper in Peace Journalism after 1991

Master's Thesis

Jan 2017

Health Assessment on Incarcerated Population across 8 Prisons in Somaliland

Jan 2016

Assessment of Legal Aid on Somaliland Inmates 2014-2016

Ministry of Justice

Jan 2016

Somaliland Judicial Reform: Training Program Assessment

Jan 2016

Security Provider Baseline in Zaila and Odweyne

OCVP

Jan 2015

Team Leader

Draft Criminal Justice Policy Baseline

Ministry of Justice

Jan 2015

Lead Researcher

Languages

Somali

English

Arabic

Amharic

Certificates

Google Project Management Professional Certificate

Aug 2025

Coursera

Design, Monitoring and Evaluation

Jul 2025

USIP

Project Management Essentials

Jul 2025

Nelson Mandela Rules

Jul 2025

UNODC

Using ICCS to Combat Organized Crime

Jul 2025

UNODC

Law and Justice in a Globalizing World

Jul 2025

Qualitative Data Analysis

Jul 2025

UN-McCord Certificate

Jul 2025

UNITAR

Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making

Mar 2025

Agile Project Management

Nov 2024

Understanding Research Methods

Sep 2022

University of London

Introduction to Philosophy

Sep 2022

University of Edinburgh

BSAFE Training

Sep 2019

UNDSS

Skills

Legal & Policy Expertise

Legislative Drafting, Policy Development, Legal Research & Analysis, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Customary Justice (Xeer), International Human Rights Law, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Frameworks, Criminal Justice Reform.

Project Management & Leadership

Program Management, Strategic Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL), Stakeholder Engagement & Consultation, Multi-disciplinary Team Leadership, Budget Management & Resource Allocation, Institutional Capacity Building.

Communication & Advocacy

Policy Advocacy, Legal Counsel, Training Program Development & Delivery, Legal Education & Curriculum Design, Research Methodology & Reporting, Inter-agency Collaboration.

Projects

Prison Regulation (Draft)

Summary

Drafting of regulations to support the implementation of prison legislation.

Criminal Justice Policy (Draft)

Summary

Drafting of a comprehensive policy framework for criminal justice.

Prison Education and Rehabilitation Program Policy (Draft)

Summary

Development of a policy to guide education and rehabilitation programs within the prison system.

Amendment of Public Notary Act

Summary

Contribution to the amendment process of the Public Notary Act.

Prison Education Policy

Summary

Development of a policy specifically for education within prisons.

Prison Health Policy

Summary

Development of a policy addressing health services within the prison system.

Somaliland Legal Aid Bill

Summary

Contribution to the development of a national legal aid framework, expanding access to legal representation for indigent defendants.

Somaliland National Legal Aid Policy

Summary

Development of a national policy framework for legal aid services.

Human Trafficking Bill (Cabinet Approved)

Summary

Development of legislative measures to combat human trafficking, approved by the Cabinet.

Somaliland Prison Act (Law No. 65/2014-2017)

Jan 2014→ Dec 2017

Summary

Contribution to the legislative framework governing prisons in Somaliland.