President Boko rallies Africa to self-reflection and integrity in Botswana as leaders unite to defend civic space, freedom

President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, has delivered a stirring call to conscience and integrity, urging African leaders, institutions, and civil society to confront corruption from within and restore trust in public governance across the continent.

Addressing the High-Level Africa Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference 2025 in Gaborone, His Excellency Boko emphasized that the fight against illicit finance and the shrinking of civic space must begin with self-examination and moral courage.

“Money laundering exists because people—often those entrusted with public resources—seek to enrich themselves,” President Boko declared in his keynote address.

“We must shine the spotlight on ourselves. It takes courage to confront our own weaknesses. When we submit to self-examination, we build societies that welcome scrutiny rather than fear it.”

The president reminded delegates that strong laws alone are not enough without integrity and enforcement.

“We may have some of the best laws in the world, but the question is not whether the laws exist—it is whether they are effective,” he emphasized.

Boko outlined his administration’s reforms, including the establishment of specialized criminal courts to fast-track corruption and money laundering cases.

“Our commitment is not just to compliance but to integrity. We must ensure that justice is swift, fair, and transparent,” he said, adding that Botswana’s governance model must reflect accountability and moral leadership.

The President commended the Civic Advisory Hub (CAH) of Uganda and Spaces for Change (S4C) of Nigeria for convening the continental forum, describing their efforts as pivotal in ensuring that African voices shape Africa’s financial integrity agenda.

“It is through such partnerships that we will build an Africa rooted in trust, accountability, and shared responsibility,” he said.

The three-day conference, held from October 15 to 17, 2025, at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, was themed “Placing Civic Space at the Heart of Combating Money Laundering, Countering Terrorism, and Its Financing in Africa.”

Over 200 delegates from 54 African countries attended, including government officials, policymakers, regional bodies, financial intelligence units, multilateral agencies, academics, and civil society leaders.

The event was co-convened by Civic Advisory Hub and Spaces for Change, with support from the Government of Botswana, the Ford Foundation, the Mott Foundation, Funds for Global Human Rights, the Human Security Collective, and the Institute of Illicit Financial Flows at the University of Botswana.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Pius Mokgware, Botswana’s Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, described the conference as “the most important moment of our lives,” calling for collective action against the growing threats of money laundering and terrorism financing.

“We live in a very dynamic world,” he said. “It is a world that is weak, confused, and violent. You cannot predict what will happen next, and that is why we are gathered here—to collaborate, to network, and to build new ways of addressing money laundering and terrorism financing.”

Mokgware warned that illicit financial flows recognize no borders.

“These problems do not have boundaries. Money laundered in one country will destroy another. You cannot say, adding, “The is not happening in my country.’ It is happening right under our noses,” he cautioned.

He linked financial crimes to the proliferation of drugs, corruption, and social decay, adding: “The bad side of money laundering and terrorism is human suffering. These challenges require strategic thinking, strategic approaches, and accountability. Each one of us should be able to account for every money that comes into our account.”

The minister celebrated Botswana’s recent milestone in financial governance, announcing that the country had achieved substantial compliance with FATF Recommendation 8—which governs the regulation and protection of non-profit organizations—after being non-compliant since 2009.

“We moved from being non-compliant since 2009 to achieving substantial compliance in August 2025. This improvement is not just technical—it reflects a shift in philosophy, from suspicion to partnership, from regulation that restricts to regulation that empowers,” he stated.

Mokgware revealed that Botswana had launched the REUM platform, a national mechanism promoting dialogue and transparency between government and civil society, as well as the Institute for Combating Illicit Financial Crimes in partnership with the University of Botswana. “This is what good governance looks like in action—it is inclusive, accountable, and participatory,” he said, noting that these steps were critical as the country prepares for its third FATF mutual evaluation in 2027.

Representing civil society, Yona Wanjala, Executive Director of the Civic Advisory Hub, cautioned that some governments were weaponizing AML/CFT frameworks against civic organizations.

“While well-intentioned, these frameworks have been weaponized in some countries to disrupt the operations of civil society,” he warned.

“We see the erosion of human rights and good governance. We see democracy retreating.”

Citing data that Africa loses approximately US$88.6 billion annually through illicit financial flows, Wanjala argued that civic space must be at the center of Africa’s financial integrity and counter-terrorism efforts. “The AML/CFT regime should not silence the voices that promote accountability—it should empower them,” he said.

Echoing his call, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of Spaces for Change (S4C), noted that the compliance demands of existing AML/CFT systems often overwhelm smaller non-profits. “Today, our work involves compliance, reporting, licensing, sanction screening, and multiple audits—often at great cost to smaller organizations,” she said.

“While these measures are necessary, they must not suffocate the very organizations that deliver social impact.”

She referred to a UN Special Rapporteur’s report, which revealed that thousands of NGOs worldwide have been forced to shut down due to overregulation.

“Civil society is an ally, not an adversary, in the fight against financial crime,” she asserted. “We must balance compliance with compassion and oversight with freedom.”

Otto Saki, Global Program Officer for Civic Engagement and Government at the Ford Foundation, emphasized the need for inclusion and representation, warning that excluding women and marginalized groups from policy processes weakens governance.

“Exclusion erodes trust, weakens resilience, and ultimately undermines collective security,” Saki said. “When civic space thrives, accountability strengthens, and when citizens are heard, resilience grows.”

He praised African organizations for ensuring that the financial integrity debate remains people-centered and rights-based.

“We must ensure that civic space informs, shapes, and drives policy processes,” he added.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Edwin Woryonwon Harris Jr., Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), reaffirmed his organization’s support for civil society partnerships.

“Of the US$546,000 in cash grants to civil society organizations in West Africa, US$200,000 was given to organizations in the Mano River Union to work on countering violent extremism with religious leaders in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia, and in northwestern Nigeria,” he revealed. “We also provided US$265,000 to twelve civil society organizations across West Africa to work on asset recovery and community initiatives.”

Harris praised Botswana’s collaborative model and announced that the next Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference will be hosted in West Africa, in collaboration with GIABA.

“We learned valuable lessons to take to West Africa and look forward to continuing this partnership,” he said.

Urging African civil society to build their capacity, he added, “Equip yourselves, expand your knowledge, and you will become more relevant. The space you are asking for today will be given to you when your skills and expertise make you indispensable.”

The Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference was established under the Africa Civil Society Initiative on AML/CFT, co-founded by the Civic Advisory Hub and Spaces for Change, to bridge the divide between governments and non-profit actors in shaping inclusive, transparent, and rights-based financial integrity systems.

The initiative seeks to correct the long-standing imbalance in which anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism efforts have been dominated by governments and intergovernmental bodies, often sidelining civil society voices—the very actors most affected by those policies.

By Joseph Kobla Wemakor – Gaborone, Botswana