Benin/Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: Raising Awareness Among Religious Leaders to Enhance Effectiveness

The national seminar to raise awareness among religious leaders and heads of religious organizations about the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) officially began on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The opening ceremony for this seminar was presided over by the Minister Delegate to the President of the Republic, in charge of the Interior and Public Security, Mr. Djibril MAMA CISSÉ. This initiative by the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), supported by the Beninese government, aims to strengthen cooperation between state institutions and religious authorities.

The initiative aims to improve understanding of the risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing, while identifying the preventive role of religious communities. This meeting has several specific objectives:

• Raise awareness among local communities;

• To promote interfaith dialogue and prevent hate speech and radicalization;

• Strengthen collaboration between faith-based organizations and government institutions.

In his opening remarks, Minister Djibril MAMA CISSÉ reiterated that the government attaches particular importance to building a partnership based on trust, dialogue, and the exchange of information. He also highlighted the key role of the National Financial Intelligence Unit (CENTIF) in mobilizing stakeholders.

Present at the ceremony, the president of CENTIF, Mr. Abdou Rafiou BELLO, commended GIABA’s efforts before highlighting the subregional context marked by the rise of violent extremism: “Terrorist groups need financial resources to recruit, move around, and equip themselves. Cutting off these sources of funding directly weakens their capacity to cause harm.” ” He highlighted his institution’s track record, noting that in 2025 alone, CENTIF recorded an increase in suspicious activity reports and produced more than 150 financial intelligence reports.

For his part, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, Mr. Amadou DIONGUE, speaking on behalf of the Director General of GIABA, expressed his gratitude to the Beninese government. He emphasized that, in light of evolving security threats in West Africa, a military response must be accompanied by social and preventive measures to preserve national cohesion.

The seminar will continue through September 16, 2026.

Source: www.gouv.bj/