FG urges AU to crack down on illicit terror funding

Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has called on the African Union Peace and Security Council to bolster efforts in combating illicit financial flows, identifying them as a primary driver of terrorism and violent extremism across the continent. Speaking at a virtual meeting of the council, Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that Nigeria remains committed to regional and international partnerships against these threats.

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Mr. Chair, a major obstacle to any progress being made in the fight against terrorism in Africa is access to illicit funds. It facilitates the recruitment of youths and the procurement of lethal weapons by terrorist groups.

"A major obstacle to any progress being made in the fight against terrorism in Africa is access to illicit funds," the minister stated. She explained that these funds enable terrorist groups to recruit young people and procure sophisticated weapons, thereby increasing their resilience against conventional military operations. Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the council to stress the need for stronger international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering, and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows from safe havens back to their countries of origin.

The minister further warned that terrorist groups are increasingly leveraging commercially available technologies, such as drones and advanced digital platforms. They are also obtaining illicit financing through kidnapping for ransom and mining precious minerals in territories under their control. This evolving operational capacity presents a significant challenge to existing counter-terrorism strategies.

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We call on the PSC to stress the need for stronger international cooperation in preventing, tracing, recovering, and returning proceeds of illicit financial flows from safe havens to countries of origins.

Nigeria strongly condemned all acts of terrorism and expressed solidarity with victims across Africa. Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that the spread of terrorism in West Africa has been used by some as justification for unconstitutional changes of government. She urged the AU and its member states to translate commitments made at previous summits into concrete actions to curtail the operational freedom of jihadist groups on the continent.

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They are increasingly acquiring and deploying commercially available technologies, such as drones and other sophisticated digital platforms. They are also having what seems to be unhindered access to illicit financing through kidnapping for ransom and mining of precious minerals in territories where they operate.