The 49th Meeting of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) Task Force of Senior Officials was held from March 28 to April 4, 2025, in Kampala, Uganda, under the Presidency of Ethiopia. The high-level gathering brought together delegates from 21 African member countries, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), cooperating and supporting nations, observers, and international partners.
The meeting was officially opened by the Right Honorable Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, who underscored the importance of regional collaboration in combating financial crimes and strengthening anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) frameworks.
The Ethiopian delegation was led by Mr. Bilen Gizework, Deputy Director of the Financial Intelligence Service, and included representatives from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), the Ministry of Justice, and the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority.
Mr. Frezer Ayalew, Director of Banking Supervision at the National Bank of Ethiopia and current Chairperson of the ESAAMLG Task Force, successfully presided over the meeting. Under his leadership, the Task Force deliberated and adopted key policy recommendations focused on emerging regional risks in money laundering and terrorist financing, the growing importance of financial technology, and strategies to enhance financial inclusion across member countries.
Ethiopia is honored to announce that it will host the next ESAAMLG Task Force of Senior Officials Meeting, the Council of Ministers Meeting, and the Public-Private Partnership Forum from August 29 to September 6, 2025.
The National Bank of Ethiopia reaffirms its commitment to regional cooperation and its leadership role in advancing robust and inclusive financial systems in Africa.
