Dr Mamadou Ousmane Diallo

Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau & Guinea Expert — Human Rights, Political Situation & Asylum Cases

Expert at The Human Rights Experts, an international expert witness organisation.

We provide expert witness reports for asylum cases worldwide, covering human rights violations, political persecution, and systemic oppression. Our reports are trusted by lawyers, courts, and immigration authorities, in full compliance with procedural standards and tribunal requirements in the UK (CPR Part 35, Upper Tribunal PD, First-tier Tribunal IAC PD), USA (Federal Rules of Evidence), Canada, and the EU.

Occupation

• Country Witness Expert on West Africa
• Human Rights Specialist
• Legal Researcher and Academic Consultant
• Independent Journalist and Investigative Reporter on Human Rights

Expertise

I provide expert analysis on all five Refugee Convention grounds — political opinion, religion, ethnicity, membership of a particular social group (including LGBT and gender-based cases), and nationality — with a focus on the following countries:

Senegal: Senegal has historically been regarded as one of West Africa's most stable democracies, but recent years have witnessed a troubling erosion of political freedoms, with the detention and prosecution of prominent opposition leaders, the lethal dispersal of protests by security forces, and the restriction of internet access during periods of political tension. Journalists critical of the government have faced arrest, and media outlets have been temporarily shut down. The Casamance region continues to experience low-level separatist conflict, with communities caught between armed groups and military operations. Women face high rates of female genital mutilation in southern and southeastern regions, early marriage, and limited economic autonomy. Same-sex conduct is criminalized with imprisonment of up to five years, and LGBT individuals face intense social hostility, mob violence, and are routinely outed and expelled from their communities.

Mauritania: Mauritania's society remains stratified along racial and caste lines, with descendants of enslaved persons — the Haratine — and sub-Saharan African ethnic groups including the Fulani, Soninke, and Wolof facing entrenched discrimination in employment, education, and access to state services. Slavery and slavery-like practices persist in parts of the country despite their formal criminalization, with enforcement of anti-slavery legislation hampered by judicial complicity and social acceptance. Anti-slavery activists face prosecution and imprisonment for challenging the system. Political opposition is constrained by restrictions on assembly and media, and bloggers who criticize the government or question religious orthodoxy face charges of apostasy carrying the death penalty. Women face forced marriage, domestic violence, and the harmful practice of force-feeding for marriage (gavage). Same-sex relations are punishable by death under Sharia law, though the penalty is not currently carried out; LGBT individuals nevertheless face imprisonment, social violence, and complete exclusion from public life.

Guinea-Bissau: Guinea-Bissau is characterized by chronic political instability, with a history of military coups and contested governance that has produced a weak state incapable of protecting fundamental rights. Drug trafficking networks have penetrated state institutions, and individuals who threaten these interests — including journalists, judges, and military officers — face assassination and enforced disappearance. Ethnic tensions between the Balanta, Fula, Manjaco, and other groups shape political alliances and competition for resources. Women and girls are subjected to extremely high rates of female genital mutilation, particularly among Fula and Mandinga communities, alongside early and forced marriage. There is no specific legal framework addressing LGBT rights, and same-sex individuals face social rejection and the risk of violence in a conservative environment.

Guinea (Conakry): Guinea's political trajectory has been marked by authoritarian governance, military coups, and the violent suppression of pro-democracy movements, with security forces repeatedly killing and injuring peaceful protesters. The military junta that seized power in 2021 initially pledged democratic transition but has since consolidated control, detained civilian politicians, and restricted press freedoms. Ethnic tensions between the Fulani, Malinke, and Susu communities have been exploited by successive governments, resulting in communal violence and discriminatory state practices, particularly during electoral periods. Female genital mutilation is practised at near-universal rates, and women face endemic domestic violence and limited access to justice. Same-sex conduct is criminalized, and LGBT individuals face imprisonment, community violence, and forced marriage as a "corrective" measure.

Experience

• Authored more than 130 expert witness reports on country conditions in Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea for asylum proceedings in UK tribunals and US immigration courts
• Provided expert testimony in cases involving Mauritanian anti-slavery activists, Casamance separatists, and Guinean political opposition members
• Served as a research consultant for international human rights NGOs investigating caste-based discrimination, political violence, and female genital mutilation in West Africa
• Associate Professor of Human Rights Law and Political Science, Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Faculty of Law
• Expert member of The Human Rights Experts

Full professional experience is available in the CV. Please email us to receive the detailed expert CV.

Publications

Available upon request and detailed in the expert CV.

Languages

• French (Fluent — native speaker)
• Wolof (Fluent)
• Pulaar (Professional)
• English (Professional)
• Arabic (Basic understanding)

Religious Groups Expertise

All religious groups

Contact Email

info@thehuman-rights.com