African leaders and civil society forge a new frontline for integrity, freedom at a landmark conference in Botswana

Africa’s resolve to protect civic freedoms and uphold financial integrity took center stage in Gaborone, Botswana, as leaders, policymakers, and civil society champions from across the continent gathered for the High-Level Africa Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2025.

Held from October 15 to 17, 2025, at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, the three-day summit was themed “Placing Civic Space at the Heart of Combating Money Laundering, Countering Terrorism, and Its Financing in Africa.”

The conference convened over 200 delegates from 54 African countries, including representatives of governments, regional bodies, financial intelligence units, multilateral agencies, academia, and civil society organizations.

It was co-convened by the Civic Advisory Hub (CAH) of Uganda and Spaces for Change (S4C) of Nigeria, with support from the Government of Botswana, Ford Foundation, Mott Foundation, Funds for Global Human Rights, Human Security Collective, and the Institute of Illicit Financial Flows at the University of Botswana.

Opening the landmark event, Hon. Pius Mokgware, Botswana’s Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, hailed the conference as “the most important moment of our lives,” stressing collective responsibility in tackling money laundering and terrorism financing. “We live in a very dynamic world,” he said.

“It is a world that is weak, confused, and violent. You cannot predict what will happen next, and that is why we are gathered here—to collaborate, to network, and to build new ways of addressing money laundering and terrorism financing.”

Mokgware warned that illicit financial flows recognize no borders.

“These problems do not have boundaries. Money laundered in one country will destroy another. You cannot say, ‘It is not happening in my country.’ It is happening right under our noses.”

He linked financial crimes to social decay, corruption, and the spread of drugs, underscoring their devastating human toll.

“The bad side of money laundering and terrorism is human suffering.

These challenges require strategic thinking, strategic approaches, and accountability. Each one of us should be able to account for every money that comes into our account,” he stated.

Highlighting Botswana’s advances, Mokgware announced that the country had achieved substantial compliance with FATF Recommendation 8—which governs the regulation and protection of non-profit organizations—after being non-compliant since 2009.

“We moved from being non-compliant since 2009 to achieving substantial compliance in August 2025. This improvement is not just technical—it reflects a shift in philosophy, from suspicion to partnership, from regulation that restricts to regulation that empowers,” he declared.

He further revealed the establishment of the REUM platform—a national mechanism for dialogue and transparency between government and civil society—as well as the Institute for Combating Illicit Financial Crimes in partnership with the University of Botswana.

“This is what good governance looks like in action—it is inclusive, accountable, and participatory,” he said, adding that these reforms are crucial as Botswana prepares for its third FATF mutual evaluation in 2027.

Delivering the keynote address, President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana challenged both government and civil society to look inward in the fight against corruption and illicit finance.

“Money laundering exists because people—often those entrusted with public resources—seek to enrich themselves,” he said.

“We must shine the spotlight on ourselves. It takes courage to confront our own weaknesses. When we submit to self-examination, we build societies that welcome scrutiny rather than fear it.”

He emphasized that strong laws are meaningless without effective enforcement. “We may have some of the best laws in the world, but the question is not whether the laws exist—it is whether they are effective.”

President Boko outlined ongoing reforms, including the creation of specialized criminal courts to expedite corruption and money laundering cases.

“Our commitment is not just to compliance but to integrity. We must ensure that justice is swift, fair, and transparent.”

He commended the Civic Advisory Hub and Spaces for Change for fostering a space where African voices can drive the continent’s financial integrity agenda.

Representing civil society, Yona Wanjala, Executive Director of Civic Advisory Hub, urged African governments to stop weaponizing AML/CFT regulations against non-profit organizations.

“While well-intentioned, these frameworks have been weaponized in some countries to disrupt the operations of civil society,” he warned.

“We see the erosion of human rights and good governance. We see democracy retreating.” Citing data that Africa loses approximately US$88.6 billion annually through illicit financial flows, Wanjala stressed that civic space must be central to the fight against financial crime.

“The AML/CFT regime should not silence the voices that promote accountability—it should empower them.”

Echoing his sentiments, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change (S4C), highlighted how compliance burdens under current AML/CFT systems often overwhelm smaller non-profits.

“Today, our work involves compliance, reporting, licensing, sanction screening, and multiple audits—often at great cost to smaller organizations,” she said.

“While these measures are necessary, they must not suffocate the very organizations that deliver social impact.”

She cited a UN Special Rapporteur’s report showing that thousands of NGOs globally have been forced to close due to overregulation.

“Civil society is an ally, not an adversary, in the fight against financial crime. We must balance compliance with compassion and oversight with freedom.”

Representing the Ford Foundation, Otto Saki, Global Program Officer for Civic Engagement and Government, decried the exclusion of women and marginalized groups from policymaking processes.

“Exclusion erodes trust, weakens resilience, and ultimately undermines collective security,” Saki said.

“When civic space thrives, accountability strengthens, and when citizens are heard, resilience grows.”

He praised African organizations for ensuring that the financial integrity discourse remains people-centered, inclusive, and rights-based.

“We must ensure that civic space informs, shapes, and drives policy processes,” he emphasized.

Closing the conference, Mr. Edwin Woryonwon Harris Jr., Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), reaffirmed the organization’s support for civil society partnerships. “Of US$546,000 in cash grants to civil society organizations in West Africa, US$200,000 was given to organizations in the Mano River Union to work on countering violent extremism with religious leaders in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia, and in northwestern Nigeria,” he revealed.

“We also provided US$265,000 to twelve civil society organizations across West Africa to work on asset recovery and community initiatives.”

Harris praised Botswana’s collaborative model, saying, “We learned valuable lessons to take to West Africa and look forward to continuing this partnership.

The next Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference will be hosted in West Africa, in collaboration with GIABA.”

He urged African civil society organizations to professionalize and build capacity.

“Equip yourselves, expand your knowledge, and you will become more relevant. The space you are asking for today will be given to you when your skills and expertise make you indispensable.”

The Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference emerged from the Africa Civil Society Initiative on AML/CFT, co-organized by Civic Advisory Hub and Spaces for Change, to bridge the gap between governments and non-profit actors in shaping inclusive, transparent, and rights-based financial integrity systems.

The initiative seeks to correct the long-standing imbalance where anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts are dominated by governments and intergovernmental bodies, often sidelining the civil society voices most affected by those regulations.

 

About The Author