The 2nd edition of the Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference 2025 is currently underway in Gaborone, Botswana, bringing together key players across Africa’s security, financial, and civic sectors to strengthen the continent’s response to money laundering and terrorism financing while protecting civic freedoms.
The three-day conference, which began on October 15 and runs through October 17, 2025, is convened by Spaces for Change | S4C (West Africa) and the Civic Advisory Hub (Uganda) collectively known as the Africa Civil Society Initiative on AML/CFT, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (Botswana) and the ICIFF University of Botswana.
This year’s theme, “Placing Civic Space at the Heart of Combating Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism,” underscores the need to ensure that anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism measures do not undermine civil liberties or stifle nonprofit organisations (NPOs).
The event has drawn high-level participation from government ministries and departments, law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, intergovernmental and donor bodies, regional organisations, academic institutions, and the diplomatic community.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President of the Republic of Botswana, Dumo Gideon Boko, described organised crime as a “growing reality in Africa,” emphasising the shared responsibility of both state and non-state actors, including NPOs, to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Our societies are increasingly characterised by a highly materialised upper class, a vulgarised middle class, and a brutalised lower class, with money launderers and terrorism financiers firmly embedded within the upper echelon,” President Boko stated. “Our legal systems must operate with efficiency and integrity, countering such crimes without infringing upon civic freedoms.”
Mrs. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change | S4C, in her remarks, noted that while NPOs welcome oversight, excessive regulation is constraining their ability to carry out humanitarian and charitable work effectively.
“While NPOs are not averse to government oversight, overregulation stifles their ability to organise, operate, and carry out their charitable activities freely,” she said.
The conference features a range of activities, including masterclasses on critical AML/CFT areas such as bank de-risking, NPO compliance automation, risk assessment, illicit procurement, and whistle-blower protection. A special women-focused session on countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) in Africa also highlights gender inclusion in financial integrity efforts.
Spaces for Change also led a deep-dive session on the financial exclusion challenges faced by NPOs due to disproportionate application of AML/CFT standards by financial institutions lacking a risk-based approach.
In the coming days, participants will engage in panel discussions on key issues, including Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8 (R8), NPO regulation, and the official launch of S4C’s latest report, “Security First: The Impact of Security Laws on Civic Space in West Africa.” The report provides evidence on how security-focused laws are increasingly constraining civic space and limiting civil society operations in the region.
So far, the 2025 Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference has provided a high-level platform for NPOs, governments, regulators, regional and financial intelligence bodies, and development partners to collectively reflect on Africa’s evolving AML/CFT landscape ensuring that civic freedoms remain central to the continent’s security agenda.
