.

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has approved the admission of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger as non-ECOWAS members of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). The admission of the three countries is subject to a strong political commitment to fully implement obligations required of GIABA members, including addressing deficiencies in their Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) frameworks, as well as cooperating fully with all related compliance requirements under the GIABA Statute. A statement from GIABA said the decision was taken at the end of the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority, held on December 14, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, under the chairmanship of Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and current Chair of the Authority. Burkina Faso, Mali and Nige...