Transnational Organised Crimes: Anti Money Laundering/ Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT)
The GPS Unit is implementing a Regional Capacity Building Project Against Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) that commenced in 2026. Prior to the TBML Project, the Secretariat implemented the Regional Maritime Security (MASE) programme from 2014 – 2022 which was followed by the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) IV support programme from 2022 – 2025. The implementation of the programmes and projects have been guided by Decisions of the COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs over the years which have generally urged the Secretariat to support Member States to strengthen jurisdictional efficiency and effectiveness in addressing piracy in the Indian Ocean, Money Laundering (ML), Terrorist Financing (TF) and Proliferation Financing (PF). More specifically, the Ministers have urged the Secretariat to support Member States to strengthen their AML/ CFT legal and policy frameworks through mainly enhancing capacities of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) on intelligence analysis; Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on detection of financial crimes, financial investigations, prosecution and recovery of proceeds of crime; supporting reviews of national laws and policies to align with international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards; and supporting national and regional inter-agency cooperation on AML/CFT matters.
As of December 2025, COMESA had trained over 300 Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) analysts and reached out to over 1,600 officers to improve the reporting rate of suspicious transactions. The organisation has also provided support to various FIUs in the form of hardware, software and analytical tools. COMESA has facilitated the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between different countries and developed a numeric platform to enable easy and timely sharing of information among Anti-Money Laundering (AML)stakeholders. The organisation has supported the review of AML/CFT laws of Eritrea, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Seychelles, and developed guidelines for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DFNBPs) to enhance their understanding and ensure compliance with respective AML laws. COMESA has also trained officials from various Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)in financial investigations and asset recovery and conducted capacity needs assessments to identify gaps in various countries. COMESA has facilitated membership to various FATF-Style Regional Bodies and supported countries in attaining Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) membership to enable unlimited information sharing and capacity building opportunities. Finally, COMESA has developed a Regional Strategy on Combatting Transnational Organised Crime (CTOC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) to harmonise approaches and enhance coordination among Member States. The regional strategy was adopted by COMESA Policy Organs in 2025. COMESA also developed a Regional Training Manual on Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery (FIAR) in 2024 to support sustained capacity building in the region.