Strengthening AML/CFT Compliance Among DNFBPs in Central and West Africa
From 28-30 October 2026 – The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) convened a three-day regional workshop, organised under its Counter-Financing of Terrorism Workstream, focused on mitigating terrorist financing (TF) risks associated with Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) across Central and West Africa.
Hosted by Cameroon’s Ministry of Justice and National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, the workshop aimed to strengthen anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance frameworks among DNFBPs and enhance their role as key partners in preventing illicit financial flows. The workshop brought together more than 30 participants representing seven countries - Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone- including private sector DNFPBs, self-regulatory bodies, supervisory authorities, and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) analysts. Discussions were facilitated by CFT specialists from partner organisations including GIABA, GABAC, and the United Nations.
A central focus of the workshop was moving beyond theoretical compliance requirements toward practical, risk-based prevention measures. Participants explored ways to strengthen Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, improve beneficial ownership identification, clarify the relationship between professional secrecy obligations and safe-harbour protections for reporting, and develop practical, low-cost compliance tools that DNFBPs can implement in resource-constrained environments.
Key sessions addressed:
- AML/CFT fundamentals, DNFBP gatekeeper responsibilities, and gaps identified through Mutual Evaluation Reports (MERs);
- Regional terrorist financing trends and typologies, including risks linked to artisanal gold trafficking and kidnapping-for-ransom;
- Risk mapping methodologies;
- KYC and beneficial ownership (BO) analysis through case studies;
- Sanctions and Internal Control: Targeted financial sanctions, asset freezing measures, and the development of effective internal controls;
- Inter-Institutional Coordination and Validation: Strengthening public-private partnerships, FIU cooperation, and validation of practical compliance tools.
The workshop featured contributions from leading regional and international experts, including Mr. Constantin Nguenedi from the Task Force against Money Laundering in Central Africa (GABAC); Mr. Emil Meddy from the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA); Ms. Kanako Emoto from the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN CTED); and Mr. Julius Seidenader from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The primary outcome is a collaboratively validated "Paper-Based Toolbox", comprising a simplified risk assessment grid, a paper KYC/BO protocol, and a sectoral red flag catalogue, to immediately boost DNFBP operational capacity and reinforce the GABAC–GIABA interregional network.
Through this regional engagement, the IIJ and its partners continue to support stronger AML/CFT systems, enhanced cooperation between public authorities and private sector actors, and more effective prevention of terrorist financing risks across Africa.