Alliou Traore

Background

About Alliou Traore

I am a peacebuilding expert with over 13 years of experience in international development, conflict resolution, and fostering non-violence. Currently, I serve as the Peace and Conflict Programs Director at Mercy Corps, where I oversee the implementation of peacebuilding initiatives, provide technical assistance, and support learning across programs. My work focuses on promoting dialogue, preventing violence, and building resilience in complex and challenging environments. I began my career in Côte d’Ivoire as an ICLA Adviser with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), where I mediated and negotiated land disputes while providing legal advice and assistance. I then joined Search for Common Ground (SFCG), where I held progressively senior roles, including Program Coordinator, Acting Country Director, and Country Representative. In these roles, I developed and managed conflict transformation and inclusive governance programs, built partnerships with donors and civil society organizations, and provided strategic direction for SFCG’s programming. In 2016, I joined Mercy Corps in Mali as a Peacebuilding Program Manager, where I led the USAID-funded ARPP program. This initiative piloted a conflict early warning and response (EWER) system and strengthened the capacity of local leaders to resolve disputes. Today, I coordinate all of Mercy Corps’ peacebuilding programs, including the UNPBF-funded “Engaging Youth to Build Peaceful Communities in Mali” program. I have also supported violence prevention programming in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), and Burkina Faso. I have extensive experience managing programs funded by a wide range of donors, including USAID, the European Union, ECHO, DRL, SIDA, DFID, UNPBF, UNHCR, and KFW. I hold a Master’s degree in History and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Anthropology from the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, as well as a Master’s degree in Conflict Management from CERAP in Abidjan. As an experienced trainer and engaging public speaker, I am fluent in French, Bambara, Soninke, and English. I am passionate about creating sustainable solutions to conflict and empowering communities to build peaceful and resilient futures.