Representatives of Law Enforcement Agencies from six COMESA countries have been trained on Financial Investigations and Assets Management, Recovery and Disposal of Seized, Forfeited or Confiscated Assets. The training held from 28 July to 1 August 2025 was in line with the Decision of the 19th Meeting of COMESA Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Burundi which emphasised the importance of strengthening Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regimes in the region.
In line with the above Decision, COMESA has been implementing an AML/ CFT programme in line with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. The focus has been on strengthening capacities of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and strengthening AML/CFT legal regimes in the region in line with the FATF standards. This has helped LEAs over the years to successfully investigate, detect and prosecute financial crimes and recover the ill-amassed wealth.
COMESA has gone on further to develop two strategic documents which are a Regional Training Manual on Financial Investigations and Asset Forfeiture and a Regional Strategy on Combating Transnational Organised Crime (CTOC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT).
Speaking at the opening of the training, Mrs Auleria Olunga, Director of Budget and Finance at the COMESA Secretariat and Dr Kennedy Ogwendo the Deputy Director General at Kenya Assets Recovery Agency emphasised the importance of “following the money” to demonstrate to criminals that crime does not pay.
Furthermore, the proceeds from convicted cases can cover existing revenue gaps which are crucial for national development and sustainability. The 28 July – 1 August 2025 regional training that was specifically requested by Madagascar and Seychelles became the sixth regional training on financial investigations and asset recovery organised by COMESA since 2022.
The training drew participation of LEAs from Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and GIZ. The wider participation provided opportunities for enhancing region-wide collaboration which is pivotal in sustaining a peaceful, secure and stable COMESA region which is crucial for achieving continental goals set by the Agenda 2063 and the 2030 global Agenda.
The participants also visited the Kenya Assets Recovery Agency.