Combating financial crime: GIABA elevates civil society as a bulwark against money laundering and terrorism

The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), a specialized agency of ECOWAS, opened a major regional awareness-raising workshop for civil society organizations (CSOs) in West Africa this Monday in Saly. For three days, participants will discuss ways to strengthen their involvement in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT), two phenomena that continue to threaten the economic and security stability of the region.

Representatives of civil society organizations from ECOWAS countries and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), experts, institutional officials, and technical and financial partners will discuss the challenges related to financial crime and mechanisms to better protect West African economies.

GIABA Director General Edwin W. Harris Jr. noted that money laundering and terrorist financing have become increasingly sophisticated threats, fueling corruption, organized crime, and political instability. “Money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) are becoming more sophisticated, transnational in nature, and increasingly linked to organized crime, posing a growing threat to consumers, businesses, and governments. The global nature of economic and financial crime means that no nation can combat this scourge alone, making international cooperation and close collaboration with our key allies essential to the response. No single state can meet this challenge alone. Regional cooperation and the involvement of all stakeholders, including civil society, are indispensable,” he said.

The head of GIABA emphasized the strategic role of CSOs in raising public awareness, advocating with decision-makers, and promoting good governance. According to him, these organizations serve as a crucial link between public institutions and citizens in the fight against illicit financial flows.

The Director General also highlighted GIABA's recent efforts in support of civil society. In 2024, the organization awarded US$350,000 to several CSOs engaged in combating terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria and the Mano River Union Region. In 2025, an additional US$300,000 was distributed to twelve organizations to support awareness campaigns on the recovery and management of criminal assets.

On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the organization's Resident Representative in Senegal, Zelma Yollande Nobre Fassinou, commended the Senegalese authorities for their commitment and the crucial role of CENTIF (the Financial Intelligence Unit) in detecting and analyzing suspicious financial transactions. She emphasized that this workshop comes at a pivotal moment, as GIABA member states prepare to enter the third round of mutual evaluations. This process will assess not only the compliance of national systems with international standards, but also their effectiveness in preventing and prosecuting financial crimes. "Civil society organizations are indispensable partners thanks to their close ties with communities, their capacity for mobilization, and their role in raising awareness," she stated.

The discussions will focus on regional trends in money laundering and terrorist financing, regional initiatives to combat these activities, the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in preventing them, and strategies for establishing a robust West African network of organizations committed to this fight. Through this meeting, GIABA hopes to enhance understanding of the challenges of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT), increase citizen engagement, and strengthen partnerships between public institutions, civil society actors, and regional partners.

For Senegal, which is hosting this meeting for the second time after the first edition was held in Dakar in 2012, this workshop confirms its place in regional efforts to promote financial transparency, good governance and collective security in West Africa.