Munira Mustaffa, Executive Director
Munira Mustaffa is the founder and Executive Director of Chasseur Group, where she serves as principal consultant specialising in political violence, irregular warfare, and subversive statecraft. With expertise spanning the Caucasus insurgency, Islamic State operations in Central Asia and Maritime Southeast Asia, and Russian paramilitary activities, she provides strategic analysis on complex security challenges to government agencies, international organisations, and private sector clients across multiple continents.
Ms. Mustaffa holds a Master's degree in Countering Terrorism and Organised Crimes from University College London. Her career encompasses roles as a counterterrorism analyst with the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-terrorism (SEARCCT), civilian analyst at the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation, along with experience in the private sector conducting enhanced due diligence and political risk assessments.
Her analytical work focuses on understanding operational patterns, threat assessment, and producing strategic intelligence that informs policy development and operational planning. Ms. Mustaffa's expertise spans examining how armed groups organise political violence, from ongoing conflicts in Myanmar and Southern Thailand to Russian paramilitary operations including the Kadyrovites and Wagner Group, terrorist financing networks, the weaponisation of digital platforms for political influence, and the tactical evolution of terrorist organisations across regions.
A sought-after authority on regional security, Ms. Mustaffa has briefed senior officials from the U.S. State Department, European Union, German Bundeswehr, and other international stakeholders. Her teaching credentials include the Malaysian Armed Forces Defence College (PERTAHANAS), Military College Port Dickson, and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany.
Ms. Mustaffa's research has been published by leading institutions including the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, and NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. She provides expert commentary to international media including Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, and South China Morning Post, and has served as a peer reviewer for leading academic journals including Criminology & Criminal Justice, Perspectives on Terrorism, and Alternatives: Global, Local, Political.
Her consultancy portfolio spans work with international organisations, government bodies across three continents, and multinational corporations seeking insight into evolving security landscapes and strategic threats.
Current Affiliations
Fellow at Verve Research, an independent research collective focused on military-society relations in Southeast Asia
Visiting Fellow (2023), International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), The Hague
Non-resident Fellow, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, Washington D.C.
Affiliate Member, Addressing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation to Terrorism (AVERT) Research Network