Aloys Habimana is a Senior Legal Advisor for the Africa program at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. He implements and provides technical legal support and capacity building to civil society organizations and governments in Africa seeking to improve the legislative framework for strengthened civil society participation.

For over two decades before joining ICNL, Habimana was involved in fieldwork in various countries in Africa, first coordinating justice-related projects in post-genocide Rwanda on behalf of key local human rights organizations; and then later serving as Africa Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch. He also worked for the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (Front Line Defenders) for over 6 years managing its protection program in Sub-Saharan Africa. In his advocacy work, Habimana placed a premium on regular interactions with grassroots civil society actors as well as on the building of strategic partnerships with regional African institutions, such as the African Union and its organs.

Habimana is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He also earned a Master’s degree in Legal Institutions (MLI) from the same university.