Ministers of the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) committee held an extraordinary session on 19 July 2025 in Accra, Ghana. A major decision was made on the occasion.

During the extraordinary session of ministers of the GIABA Committee, it was decided that the three Sahel countries, members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and now out of ECOWAS, are authorized to continue to sit in GIABA as non-ECOWAS members. This decision will still have to be endorsed by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and then by the Heads of State. It aims to ensure the continuation of cooperation between these Sahelian countries and regional institutions in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, despite recent political upheavals

Indeed, unanimously, the ministers present in Accra emphasized the need to maintain strengthened regional coordination in the face of the growing insecurity in the subregion.

Selon le président fraîchement élu du Comité interministériel du GIABA , Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, “The Coop & Regional action should be prioritized to address gaps in cross-border coordination, by ensuring a united front against illicit financial flows; targeted capacity building to equip national authorities with the specialized skills and tools needed to combat increasingly sophisticated financial crimes, and by establishing robust intelligence-sharing mechanisms and independent political commitment fectible at the highest level