By Ahmed Ahmed
The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has approved the applications of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger for admission as non-ECOWAS members.
The decision was taken during the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the GIABA Ministerial Committee (GMC) held on July 19, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
This is contained in a statement signed by Timothy Melaye, head of GIABA in Nigeria made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
In line with its statute, the GMC resolved to recommend the applications to the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) through the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for final approval.
It said the GMC, the principal decision-making organ of GIABA, consists of Ministers of Finance, Internal Affairs/Security, and Justice of each member state.
It would be recalled that Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso exited ECOWAS in January 2024 to form the Alliance of Sahel States. ECOWAS granted them a six-month grace period to reconsider their decision, but the withdrawal became effective on January 29, 2025.
GIABA, in a memorandum to the GMC, emphasized that the three countries met the eligibility criteria for membership and pledged to fulfil their financial and operational obligations, including implementing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) measures.
The Vice President of Ghana, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who declared the meeting open, urged members to consider the shared goals of ECOWAS and the broader strategic direction of GIABA in making their decision.
The session also highlighted key milestones, including Mali’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in June 2025, the admission of the Financial Intelligence Units of The Gambia and Sierra Leone into the Egmont Group, and the upcoming celebration of GIABA’s Silver Jubilee in Monrovia this November.
In a symbolic gesture, Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), handed over the GMC chairmanship to Sierra Leone’s Finance Minister, Mr. Sheku Bangura.
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