Economy
MR Hadrammeh Sidibeh, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Gambia and the Dean of ECOWAS Ambassador, has reiterated the diplomatic corps’ commitment to combating money laundering and other financial crimes.
Sidibeh reiterated the commitment at the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) annual briefing for ambassadors, technical and financial partners in Dakar, Senegal on Monday.
He described the briefing as a valuable platform for dialogue among ECOWAS institutions, diplomats, development partners and the media.
The ambassador said that financial security had become inseparable from national and regional security across West Africa.
According to him, terrorism, cybercrime, illicit financial flows and transnational organised crime require coordinated regional responses.
Sidibeh said that GIABA had remained central to strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks across ECOWAS for over 25 years.
The ambassador noted that the third round of mutual evaluations focused on measuring the effectiveness of national anti-financial crime systems.
He pledged continued diplomatic support for cooperation, transparency, good governance and regional integration.
The ambassador also acknowledged technical and financial partners for supporting GIABA’s capacity-building and technical assistance programmes.
He said that their contributions had strengthened public governance, financial resilience and investor confidence in member states.
He described the media as indispensable partners in promoting transparency, accountability and integrity through investigative reporting.
The ambassador urged member states to deepen collaboration against emerging financial crimes threatening regional stability.
The ambassador commended GIABA Director-General, Mr Edwin Harris, and ECOWAS Resident Representative in Senegal, Zelma Fassinou, for sustaining the initiative over the years and for promoting regional cooperation.
Sidibeh also commended Senegal’s authorities and CENTIF Senegal for advancing financial integrity and supporting GIABA’s mandate.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Senegal, Fassinou, described the meeting as a platform for strengthening cooperation among diplomats, development partners, ECOWAS institutions and journalists.
She said that West Africa continued to face growing threats from terrorism, transnational organised crime, corruption and illicit financial flows.
Fassinou said that the emerging technologies were increasingly being exploited by criminal networks, making cross-border cooperation more imperative.
According to her, ECOWAS Vision 2050 seeks to build a prosperous and resilient region anchored on democracy, transparency, good governance and the rule of law.
She said that the vision could only succeed through credible, transparent and integrity-driven financial systems across member states.
Fassinou said that GIABA, for more than two decades, strengthened national frameworks against money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing.
She noted that the ongoing third round of mutual evaluations focused on the effectiveness of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures.
The ambassador commended the technical and financial partners for supporting regional reforms and mobilising resources to address financial crimes.
She also acknowledged the media’s role in promoting transparency, accountability and public awareness on economic and financial crimes.
Fassinou described the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing as a shared responsibility requiring governments, development partners, civil society, businesses and the media.
She expressed optimism that the meeting would deepen partnerships and enhance support for GIABA’s regional mandate.
Fassinou also commended GIABA’s leadership for its achievements in 2025 and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to regional integration. (NAN)
F.O
Tags: ECOWAS financial crime