International Journal on Criminology Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2018/Spring 2019 | Page 48

International Journal on Criminology • Volume 6, Number 2 • Winter 2018 / Spring 2019
The Fight against Money Laundering and
Terrorist Financing in West Africa
Mariame Ibrahim Touré 1
Abstract
West Africa offers a multitude of opportunities for financial criminals
and terrorist groups. This explains the extent of the problem of
money laundering and terrorist financing in the region. However,
there are very few convictions for these two types of crime. Terrorist
activity previously concentrated in Mali and Nigeria is spreading
to neighboring countries.
Keywords: Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, West Africa
La lucha contra el lavado de dinero y el financiamiento
del terrorismo en África occidental
Resumen
África occidental ofrece una multitud de oportunidades para delincuentes
financieros y grupos terroristas. Esto explica la magnitud
del problema del lavado de dinero y el financiamiento del terrorismo
en la región. Sin embargo, hay muy pocas condenas por
estos dos tipos de delitos. La actividad terrorista previamente concentrada
en Mali y Nigeria se está extendiendo a los países vecinos.
Palabras clave: Lavado de dinero, Financiamiento del terrorismo,
África occidental
1 Mariame Ibrahim Touré is director of research, publications, and documentation at the Inter-Governmental
Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (Groupe Intergouvernemental
d'Action Contre le Blanchiment d'Argent, GIABA). Prior to taking up her role at GIABA, she
worked in the financial crime department of a banking group and then in a consultancy firm. A
lawyer (Masters in business law, Masters II in business, finance, and management law), she holds a
diplôme universitaire in the analysis of contemporary criminal threats from Panthéon-Assas University.
She has worked at GIABA since 2009, where she coordinates mutual evaluation between
ECOWAS member states, coordinates and develops national risk strategies, coordinates typologies
exercises and research into money laundering and terrorist financing, trains GIABA evaluators and
the Task Force on Money Laundering in Central Africa (Groupe d'Action Contre le Blanchiment
d'Argent en Afrique Centrale, GABAC), and manages technical assistance missions to ECOWAS
member states.
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doi: 10.18278/ijc.6.2.5