Natasha Louis holds a BFA (cum laude) in Photography and Journalism from Wayne State University and a MS in Global Affairs with a concentration in Transnational Security from New York University. Her Master’s thesis focused on the security situation in Somalia; specifically, the relationship between children and al Qaeda’s al-Shabaab. This work was accepted by the University of St. Andrews’ Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence’s annual conference in 2018 and was published by the Center for UN Constitutional Research.
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Natasha has produced numerous international publications while specializing in African affairs and security, including terrorism, conflict and human rights. Natasha was previously the Research Director of Africa Watch at London Politica where she established and ran the department while also collaborating with other regionally-focused departments. She has worked across sectors as a consultant and researcher around the globe. Natasha has also traveled to over 20 countries and has lived across the US and abroad in Japan, Kenya and Somalia.

Natasha has been working in Somalia since 2023 and is currently based in Mogadishu. She previously mentored the Somali National Army and Danab and is currently working as an international security analyst for EUCAP Somalia.