GIABA MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ENDORSES MEMBERSHIP OF SAHEL AS NON-ECOWAS MEMBERS OF GIABA
GIABA MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ENDORSES MEMBERSHIP OF SAHEL AS NON-ECOWAS MEMBERS OF GIABA
The GIABA Ministerial Committee (GMC) unanimously approved the applications of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for admission as non-ECOWAS members of GIABA during its 2nd Extraordinary session held on July 19, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
In accordance with the GIABA statute, the GMC agreed to recommend 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 their consideration and approval. The GMC is the principal decision-making organ of GIABA, comprising the Ministers of Finance, the Ministers of Internal Affairs or Security, and the Ministers of Justice of each GIABA member State.
It would be recalled that Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their exit in January 2024, and they created a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States; however, ECOWAS granted the three departing countries a six-month grace period to reconsider their decision, which was to no avail. The withdrawal became effective on January 29, 2025, after a one-year notice period.
The GIABA establishment statute permits it to accept non-ECOWAS member States as members, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Currently, GIABA has two non-ECOWAS countries (Sao Tome and Principe and the Comoros Islands). GIABA presented to the GMC a Memorandum on the applications of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger for admission as non-ECOWAS members of GIABA, stressing that the three countries substantially met the eligibility requirements for GIABA membership and have expressed their willingness to fulfil their membership obligations, including financial obligations and implementation of GIABA decisions on AML/CFT/CPF issues affecting them.
The GMC supported the paper presented by GIABA and discussed extensively the membership applications of the three countries, including the benefits and cost of non-admission of these countries to regional peace, security and development, highlighting the fact that GIABA statutes allow the admission of non-ECOWAS members and that the countries have met the membership criteria.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger thanked the GMC for the unanimous decision, stressing the importance of collaboration in addressing the security threats in the region and reiterated their commitment to GIABA and willingness to meet their membership obligations.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Director General of GIABA, Mr. Edwin W. Harrs Jr. informed the GMC about the exit of Mali from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in June 2025 and the onsite visit of the Africa Joint Group of the International Cooperation Review Group of FATF to Nigeria and Burkina Faso from August 2-5, 2025, and August 7-9, 2025, respectively. He expressed optimism that these two member States will exit from the FATF grey list in October 2025.
The DG further informed the GMC of the admission of the Financial Intelligence Units of The Gambia and Sierra Leone into the Egmont Group in July 2025; the invitation by FATF to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to sit as its guest member from October 2025 to October 2026; as well as the celebration of GIABA’s Silver Jubilee anniversary scheduled to hold in Monrovia in November 2025.
Declaring the meeting opened, Her Excellency, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang commended GIABA for its vital role in safeguarding the integrity of the regional financial systems and called on the GMC to be guided by the values that bind ECOWAS together; the shared goals and the broader strategic direction of ECOWAS in deciding on the membership of the Sahel States.
While urging the GMC to approach the discussions with a spirit of unity, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, she reiterated that GMC’s decision will have profound implications on the future structure, reach, and efficiency of GIABA, stressing that our goal must be to ensure that GIABA remains inclusive, responsive, and capable of adapting to new and evolving threats.
The highlight of the meeting was the symbolic handing over of the Chairmanship of the GMC by Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, to Mr. Sheku F. Bangura, Hon. Minister of Finance of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
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