Africa’s leaders and civil society unite in Botswana to protect civic space and strengthen financial integrity

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

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

The conference brought together over 200 delegates from 54 African countries, representing governments, regional organizations, financial intelligence units, multilateral agencies, academia, and civil society groups.

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 gathering, Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Pius Mokgware, Botswana’s Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, described the conference as “the most important moment of our lives,” emphasizing the need for shared responsibility in fighting 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.”

He 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.”

Mokgware underscored the human toll of financial crimes, linking them to the spread of drugs, corruption, and social decay.

“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 achievements in financial governance, Mokgware announced that the country had made significant progress on FATF Recommendation 8, which concerns the regulation and protection of non-profit organizations.

“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 also revealed that Botswana had established the REUM platform 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,” Mokgware said, adding that these efforts were 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.”

President Boko emphasized that good laws alone were insufficient 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,” he said.

He outlined his government’s ongoing reforms, including the establishment of specialized criminal courts to fast-track 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,” the president asserted.

He lauded the Civic Advisory Hub and Spaces for Change for creating a space where African voices can shape the continent’s financial integrity agenda.

Speaking on behalf of civil society, Yona Wanjala, Executive Director of Civic Advisory Hub, urged governments to stop using AML/CFT regulations as tools of control.

“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.”

He cited data showing that Africa loses approximately US$88.6 billion annually through illicit financial flows and called for civic space to be at the heart of Africa’s fight against corruption and terrorism financing.

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

Echoing his sentiments, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change (S4C), noted that compliance burdens under current AML/CFT regimes often overwhelm non-profit organizations, particularly smaller ones.

“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 referenced a UN Special Rapporteur’s report that warned of thousands of NGOs worldwide being forced to shut down due to overregulation.

“Civil society is an ally, not an adversary, in the fight against financial crime,” she said.

“We must balance compliance with compassion and oversight with freedom.”

Representing the Ford Foundation, Otto Saki, Global Program Officer for Civic Engagement and Government, highlighted the exclusion of women and marginalized groups from policy processes and warned that this exclusion weakens governance.

“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 commended African organizations for ensuring that the conversation on financial integrity 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 his organization’s commitment to supporting civil society. “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 the collaborative model showcased in Botswana, stating, “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 strengthen their capacities.

“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,” he said.

The Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference was born out of the Africa Civil Society Initiative on AML/CFT, co-founded by the 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.

It seeks to correct the imbalance that has long seen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts dominated by government and intergovernmental actors, often sidelining the civil society voices most affected by those regulations.

As the final session closed, one message echoed powerfully through the conference halls: that Africa’s future prosperity depends on partnership, accountability, and the protection of civic space.

In the words of Minister Mokgware, “The Africa we want—the Africa of open, safe, and secure movement—will only be realized if it is free from money laundering and terrorism financing. The time for action is now.”

Source: Joseph Kobla Wemakor – Gaborone, Botswana