In brief
African financial officials started a week‑long summit in Kampala on Monday to address the surge of illicit financial flows, spurred by digital finance and complex cross‑border networks. Uganda’s finance minister urged real‑time cooperation, cyber resilience and advanced analytics to trace, freeze, seize and recover illicit proceeds. The gathering brought together 36 countries’ financial intelligence units, law‑enforcement agencies, regulators, forensic investigators and international partners.
African financial experts began a five‑day summit in Kampala, Uganda, on Monday, according to Xinhua, to tackle growing illicit financial flows fueled by digital technology and complex systems.
The Africa Financial Intelligence Summit 2026, themed "Securing Africa’s Financial Future: Intelligence, Innovation and Integrated Enforcement in an Era of Borderless Financial Crime," brought together delegates from 36 countries seeking to strengthen real‑time cooperation and refine enforcement capabilities.
Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Henry Musasizi called the event a defining moment for the continent, noting that financial crime grows in scale, speed and sophistication alongside the rapid expansion of digital finance, financial technology, virtual assets and cross‑border transactions.
"Let this Summit strengthen our institutions, sharpen our intelligence, deepen our cooperation and ensure that Africa’s financial systems increasingly work for Africa’s development," said Musasizi.
He urged African countries to enhance technological and cyber resilience—through advanced artificial intelligence, blockchain analytics and digital forensics—to trace, freeze, seize and recover illicit proceeds for the benefit of African economies and their citizens.
Representatives included financial intelligence units, law‑enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, forensic investigators and international partners, all working to address the growing threat of illicit money moving across borders in real time.