Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) ministerial committee endorses membership of Sahel countries as non-Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) members

The 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of the GIABA Ministerial Committee (GMC) concluded in Accra, Ghana on the 19th of July, 2025, with a decision to allow the three Sahel countries that have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to join the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) as Non-ECOWAS Members.

The Ministers present at the high-level meeting unanimously considered the importance of dealing with insecurity in the region in a collaborative manner. The decision will be transmitted to the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Authority of Heads of State and Government for consideration.

During the session,Nigeria’s Minister of Justice handed over the chairmanship of the GMC to the Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone, who assumes the role as the new Chair of the Committee.

The meeting was officially declared open by the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).