Team - ABC Global Communications

Located on the banks of the River Thames in London, ABC GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS is supported by a vast global network—whether expert knowledge is required from analysts, consultants, trainers, or the boardroom, our network is an invaluable resource, ready to equip your organization with the knowledge and confidence to enhance your presence in Africa.

Charles Antoine
CEO
ABC Global Communications

Charles has over thirty years of experience in journalism and strategic communication across Africa and Europe, and a reporting background that has taken him across the globe. An effective and eminently qualified leader, with a track record in delivering results with multicultural teams, Charles specializes in economics and financial reporting. He has an excellent grasp of the ever-changing sociopolitical climate and a unique knowledge base that allows him to provide detailed analysis of current trends in Africa.

Charles brings more than fifteen years of experience working with the BBC, respectively as editor, head of French and Great Lakes Services, and editorial coordinator for Africa and the Middle East. He worked with Oxfam GB as the regional media and communications coordinator for West and Central Africa, and he gave ten years of dedicated service within the United Nations as director of strategic communications and public information in the DRC and the CAR missions.

Charles holds an MA in Journalism and Communication Studies from Dakar University in Senegal.

Residing in London, he has regular visits to West and Central Africa.

Speaks: French, English, Italian, and Dioula.

Charles Antoine BAMBARA

CEO & Director

Charles Antoine Bambara

CEO

Theophane Kinda

Senior Associate Director: West and Central Africa

Theophane brings over thirty years of experience in journalism and strategic communication. A reliable authority on matters concerning African affairs, Theophane’s dedicated commitment to development in the continent stretches back many years.

This has included a decade of service in peacekeeping missions and development with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in West and Central Africa.

A graduate of Paris’ Sorbonne University and Newhouse School of Public Communications, New York, Theophane also has experience of the academic arena in a teaching capacity, where he was able to train many journalism students.

Speaks: French, English, and Mooré

Dorian Lacombe

Associate Director: Europe and The Americas

Dorian began his career at the Council of the European Union as part of the team of the spokesperson of the High Representative for EU Foreign Policy, before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Quai d'Orsay.

Dorian then worked at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and taught at the National School of Administration (ENA) before joining the United Nations (Blue Helmets and Human Rights).

After a period of working at the Permanent Mission of France to the UN in New York, he joined the private sector in a public relations agency. In recent years, he has participated in various architectural projects in New York and also accompanied a French start-up at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

Dorian is a graduate of the universities of London (BA), Exeter (MA in European Studies), Salamanca (MA in Latin American Studies), as well as the College of Europe in Bruges (MA in European Arts).

Speaks: French, English, and Spanish

Oumar Samba Thiello

Associate Director: East and Central Africa

A veteran of international development, Oumar has a long history of service within the UNDP in Central Africa. In addition to his work for an international NGO in East Africa, Oumar has a career spanning three decades in journalism, institutional communication, and communication for development in Africa and North America.

Oumar also brings his expertise in media management, strategic planning, and diplomacy.

Oumar trained in journalism at the University of Dakar and received his master’s in communications from the University of Québec in Montreal.

Speaks: French, English, Wolof, Hausa, and Fulani

Nana Bolodjua

Senior Lead in Training, and Analyst Francophone Africa

Nana is a former UN radio journalist with more than fifteen years’ experience in production, presentation, and public speaking.

A dedicated and efficient leader, she is also the founder of Elan de Chœur, a Congolese nonprofit that organizes major cultural events.

Speaks: French, English, and Lingala

Peter Musembi

Senior Lead in Training, and Analyst Anglophone Africa

A former broadcast journalist with the BBC World Service and BBC News, Peter specializes in sports coverage in addition to podcasting on major African and international events.

Peter has two decades of journalistic experience with a knowledge remit that includes environmental issues and climate change. Peter holds an MA in Journalism Studies from the University of Westminster, a BSc in Environmental Studies from The Open University UK, and a diploma in mass communication from The Kenya Institute of Mass Communication.

Speaks: English and Kiswahili

Sharon Camara

Senior Video and TV Lead

Sharon Camara is a French/Ivorian journalist with nearly ten years of experience in France and Africa.

Starting out as a news anchor for Africa 24, a Pan-African TV station based in Paris, Sharon then moved to Abidjan to take on a news anchor role at Life TV, an Ivorian general interest channel. Sharon also moderates events and conferences in France, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea.

Speaks: French, English, and Dioula

Léone Ouedraogo

Senior Co-lead on TV Journalism, Specializing in Digital and TV

Léone Ouedraogo Adu-Safo grew up in Belgium. Before joining the BBC in 2014, she worked for the Belga Press Agency in Belgium and the pan-African TV Channel Vox Africa in the UK.

A multi-talented journalist, Léone was one of the first presenters of BBC Infos, the French-language news bulletin for Africa at the BBC. While working with the BBC, Léone covered a wide range of topics—most notably the migrant crisis in Europe and elections in Africa. In 2019, she became the lead of the French for Africa Business team at the BBC.

She regularly appeared in the BBC’s African weekly business show, Questions d’Argent, as a presenter and columnist. In 2022, she joined the BBC Africa digital team. Today, Léone Ouedraogo Adu-Safo continues to tell African success stories as a journalist, moderator, and event host.

Speaks: English, French, and Mooré

Célia Dédé Faconam D'almeida

Senior Web Journalism Specialist

Célia has extensive experience in web journalism, radio, and TV production, and has led teams to boost audiences and increase reach.

With more than 25 years of professional experience, Célia is a certified media trainer, including in Radio production and is an experienced public speaker.

Speaks: French, English, Ewe, and Bambara

Aqueel Khan

Senior Multimedia Lead

Aqueel’s skills and experience in business administration and cutting-edge technology have been developed through eighteen years with United Nations peacekeeping operations and private sector companies.

His domain of expertise spans innovative information technologies and multimedia production.

Speaks: English, Hindi, and Urdu

Erick-Christian Ahounou

Lead in Photojournalism

Erick-Christian is a photography consultant with twenty-five years’ experience in photojournalism.

He has strong experience in training in photojournalism and reporting. Erick-Christian has traveled throughout Africa and covered news and current affairs for international and African newspapers and News agencies.

Speaks: French and Fon

Michael Ali

Associate Lead in Photojournalism

Michael has over thirty-five years’ experience in photography in the Ghanaian Army after retiring voluntarily as a professional civil photographer.

For over twenty years he covered the Armed Forces both at home and abroad, including covering Peacekeeping Operations in Southern Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 1997, he covered the mission of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia for 10 months, and in 2011, he served in southern Lebanon as a photographer for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) attached to the Force Commander, who was also the mission chief. He has led numerous exhibitions of his photos and conducted many training sessions. His work is widely used by Ghana, the United Nations, and in numerous African and international publications and media outlets.

Speaks: English

Élisabeth Grâce Brya

Lead on Advocacy and Outreach

Élisabeth is a former communications and program manager at the United Nations where her work included peacekeeping and conflict prevention in the Central Africa Republic.

In addition to her fifteen years of experience in media and journalism, Élisabeth has a long history of devoting her expertise to women’s causes in Africa. An extensive background in gender mainstreaming, she is also a member of the UN networks for women’s rights in the Sahel and Côte d’Ivoire in addition to being a founding member of the Association of Women Journalists

Élisabeth is a Doctoral student in sociology at the Catholic University of Central Africa, and a graduate in media management, monitoring and evaluation of projects, and agronomy.

Speaks : French and English

Illia Djadi

Senior Analyst and Social Justice Advocate

Illia is a publisher, writer, radio journalist, and researcher. He has been covering news and human rights issues in Africa for more than twenty years. Illia has worked for various international organizations including the BBC World Service in London, Article 19, Media Legal Defence Initiative, and World Watch Monitor as the Africa bureau chief and as senior analyst for Open Doors International.

In recent years, Illia has developed into a widely respected African analyst, making regular appearances in international media such as BBC, Deutsche Welle, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, La Tribune de Genève, Radio France Internationale, and TV5 Monde.

Illia has attended some of the world’s most high-profile assemblies and made presentations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the EU Parliament in Brussels, and the UK Parliament’s House of Commons in London. In December 2023, he met with His Majesty King Charles III of England to advocate the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel region. He graduated from the University of Niamey (Niger), and holds a master’s degree (Portsmouth University, UK) which focused on the history, politics, and international relations of Francophone countries in Africa.

Speaks: French, English, and Hausa

Abou Mouhilou Seidou

Public Information and Outreach Lead

Abou Mouhilou has over fifteen years’ experience in the fields of public information, communication and advocacy with the United Nations in DR Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and The Central Africa Republic.

He has a solid background and proven mastery of outreach, business communication/strategic communication, media relations, and publications through his work with NGOs and governmental counterparts throughout Africa. Abou Mouhilou is an innovator and an excellent coach who has participated in the success of several public events and training programs, including the training of journalists for print and broadcast media.

Speaks over a dozen languages, including French, English, Fon

Yaye Fatou M.

Consultant

Yaye Fatou is an International Development Program professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in development project
implementation, capacity building, knowledge management, advocacy, communications, and translation.

She is specialized in documenting development project impact and sharing lessons learned.
Yaye Fatou has worked for international NGOs such as Plan International Senegal and
Oxfam GB West Africa. She is currently based in the United States and has recently worked in reproductive health supply chain data analysis with USAID Global Health Supply Chain – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM), and PATH in the Washington DC area.
Yaye holds a BSc in Information Management from The Southern New Hampshire University and a certificate in International NGO management.

Speaks – French, English, Wolof, and Mandinka

Dramane D.

Consultant

Dramane. D is an accomplished professional in digital communication, with over fifteen years of expertise in public information and digital media.

He has served various international organizations, undertaking roles such as designing and executing outreach campaigns, crafting top-tier communication materials in line with organizational objectives, and fostering collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of campaign messaging across relevant platforms and products.

With a proven track record, Dramane. D has excelled in producing high-quality multilingual content, managing digital media platforms, compiling comprehensive reports, and establishing fruitful relationships with key partners and stakeholders throughout Africa. Throughout his career, Dramane. D has collaborated closely with African regional organizations, devising digital solutions to facilitate research dissemination, manage evaluation databases, and develop decision-making tools. His adeptness in communication, coordination, and analysis has consistently propelled him to success in these capacities.

Speaks - French, English, Dioula

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