About N49 Intelligence and the Core Team
Where are we?
About N49 Intelligence
N49 Intelligence is a privately-owned British Intelligence and Risk Reporting company with wholly owned subsidiaries in London (UK), Nairobi (Kenya) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Our wider network is embedded extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East.
N49i’s strategic imperative is to deliver niche, specialist Intelligence and Risk Consulting in the context of Geo-political and Operational Risk; Country Profiling and New and Emerging Market Entry; Terrorist, Rebel and Insurgent Activity; and Due Diligence Enquiries.
N49i was founded in 2010 and our core members each hold between 20-35 years of service within military (including ex military attaché), government, government agency, diplomatic, news journalism, commerce and legal disciplines. In particular, the team have substantial, proven track records in risk consultancy (gathering and reporting specialised Intelligence); in counter-terrorism; and in close protection and private security.
As experts with a deep-rooted, long term presence in the region, we are able to offer a wealth of experience and operational capacity focused on specific areas of regional risk. This results in an entirely bespoke and focused product for our client that is not currently provided by larger, global Risk Consultants and Private Security companies.
The Core Team
MF – Managing Director/Founder
Following a number of years in the British Army, MF has since spent his career working for various governments and other organisations around the world focussing on intelligence, counter terrorism and risk audit in Europe, Southern Asia, the Middle East and, in particular, East Africa. MF has a wealth of experience in obtaining and delivering intelligence that provides advantage to both government and private sector organisations.
AS – Head of Intelligence
AS has over 35 years experience in counter terrorism as a special advisor to the British Foreign Office, Africa & Foreign Intelligence agencies, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, National Intelligence Secret Service (NISS) and a number of multinational corporations. He is a renowned author of books on Counter Terrorism. He worked as a Foreign Diplomat in Intelligence & Counter Terrorism in Ethiopia along with the six countries comprising the Horn of Africa and collaborated closely with Foreign Intelligence agencies. He is widely recognised as one of only a handful of genuine experts on Somalia, the Somali people and concurrent contacts throughout East Africa/Horn of Africa.
AS heads N49’s Addis Ababa office which oversees all operations within East Africa.
OT – Business Affairs Director
OT qualified as a solicitor in 2000 and, having spent eight years in the corporate department of a major City firm and then in the corporate/M&A team of a large US corporate, he moved into commerce in 2008, focusing on the support services sector. During this time he has provided strategic direction to a number of SME businesses, both independently and as part of a boutique private equity house, to help them grow and develop. He received an MBA (Finance) from Cass Business School in London in 2008.
VJ– Intelligence Manager (Nairobi)
VJ has over 25 years experience in counter terrorism as a special advisor to the British Foreign Office, Africa & Foreign Intelligence agencies, the Kenyan Foreign Ministry, and a number of multinational corporations. She worked in the diplomatic service covering Intelligence & Counter Terrorism in Kenya and Somalia (South region) with significant exposure to the six countries comprising the Horn of Africa, including Sudan, Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She collaborated closely with Foreign Intelligence agencies. VJ heads up N49i’s Nairobi office which overseas all local operations and reports into AS in Addis Ababa and MF in London.
Lead Analysts
KM (Addis Ababa)
KM has 23 years experience in counter terrorism and advising local intelligence agencies. KM has headed up Security Divisions within the Horn of Africa with an entrenched specialisation in Somaliland, Somalia and Puntland. He reports directly to MF and AS. KM is ex-Special Forces Ethiopian Army and controls a 400-strong team of military counter terrorism specialists who participate in delicate operations with the region. KM is an Ethiopian national and speaks all local languages.
MK (Nairobi)
MK has 29 years experience in Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. He worked within specialist departments within the Kenyan government and other Horn of Africa governments. He works in a supporting capacity to VG in Nairobi and KM in Addis Ababa. MK is a specialist in dealing with local clans and sub clans and is widely known and respected by many of the opposition clan parties. His main areas of expertise are the Ogaden Basin, North Kenya and North Sudan.
All members of the team have worked together over many years on numerous assignments throughout East Africa.
