SecFin Africa

Overview

As part of the Global Gateway strategy, SecFin Africa is a technical assistance programme funded by the European Union, Germany, and France. It aims to strengthen the capacity of Sub-Saharan African countries to combat illicit financial flows linked to transnational organised crime, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism.

By reinforcing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CFT) frameworks and institutional capacities, the programme contributes to improved governance, enhanced domestic resource mobilisation, and greater stability of Africa’s financial systems. By addressing financial crimes that fuel instability and conflict, SecFin Africa promotes security, resilience, and transparency, creating a more attractive environment for foreign investment, economic growth, and sustainable development.

Approach and objectives

Illicit financial flows deprive African countries of more than USD 89 billion each year, draining resources essential for socio-economic development, weakening the rule of law, and undermining domestic resource mobilisation. These flows fuel corruption, organised crime, and terrorism, significantly hindering progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In response, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) have identified the fight against illicit financial flows as a shared political priority, formalised in the Joint Vision for 2030 adopted at the EU–AU Summit in 2022. Within this framework, SecFin Africa contributes to the Team Europe Initiative to Support Africa in Combating Illicit Financial Flows and Transnational Organised Crime.

The objective of SecFin Africa is to strengthen Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) frameworks and capacities in Sub-Saharan African countries, in line with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, EU AML/CFT Directives, and United Nations resolutions. The programme delivers demand-driven technical assistance, capacity-building, and cooperation through three complementary pillars:

1. Country-level support: Strengthening AML/CFT compliance and effectiveness by providing tailored, demand-driven technical assistance and training covering the entire process—from detection, assessment, investigation, prosecution to asset recovery—through a multiagency approach, ensuring alignment with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.
2. Regional cooperation opportunities: Supporting the capacities of regional bodies and networks with an AML/CFT mandate, increase cooperation in financial investigations and improve information sharing on AML/CFT issues.
3. Civil society engagement: Increase public awareness and support civil society’s role in promoting transparency and accountability through grants for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), investigative journalism, whistleblowers, and research labs focused on tackling IFFs.

SecFin Africa is implemented through regional hubs in Senegal, Cameroon, Tanzania, and South Africa, with overall coordination provided from Brussels.

Actions

SecFin Africa provides a broad range of technical assistance and cooperation opportunities, including:

• Revision and strengthening of AML/CFT legislative, regulatory, and policy frameworks
• Capacity-building for institutional, legal, and investigative actors to improve enforcement and compliance
• Delivery of specialised training (online and onsite), peer-to-peer exchanges, and expert mentoring
• Support for national and sectoral risk assessments, strategy development, trend and typology analysis, and mitigation of unintended AML/CFT consequences
• Development of tailored national AML/CFT curricula for law enforcement and judicial authorities
• Support for the design and implementation of supervision regimes for obliged entities, including financial institutions, designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs), and non-profit organisations
• Awareness-raising and promotion of inter-agency and public–private cooperation to enhance information sharing and coordinated action
• Facilitation of FATF Standards Training Courses (STCs), Joint Assessors’ Trainings, and support for Egmont Group membership
• Establishment of data exchange protocols and support for cross-border investigations and mutual legal assistance
• Organisation of regional conferences, workshops, and networking events
• Provision of digitalisation expertise and development of statistical and analytical tools
• Procurement of AML/CFT-related resources
• Support to civil society organisations and investigative journalism on AML/CFT, anti-corruption, and whistleblower protection
• Support to joint investigation teams and case-based cooperation

Contact

For any questions or additional information about SecFin Africa, please contact secfinexpertisefrance [dot] fr (secfin[at]expertisefrance[dot]fr).