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About Us
Who We Are
The Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) is a Regional Body subscribing to global standards to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism and proliferation. Its 22 Member Countries are Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democrat Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa,South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe and includes a number of regional and international observers such as Commonwealth Secretariat, East African Community, FATF, IMF, SADC, United Kingdom, United States of America, UNODC,World Bank and World Customs Organization. The United Kingdom and United States of America have been cooperating and supporting nations of the organization since it was established in 1999.
Our History
ESAAMLG was launched at a Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Representatives in Arusha, Tanzania, On 26-27 August 1999. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on the experience of the FATF and other FATF Style Regional Bodies (FSRBs) was agreed to at that meeting. Following the signing of the MoU by seven of the potential members, ESAAMLG came into formal existence.The MoU was further amended in different meetings including the Ministerial Council meetings in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, September 2016 and Mahe, Seychelles, September 2018.
ESAAMLG held its first meeting on 21 April 2000 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. ESAAMLG currently has 18 member countries. The Democrat Republic of Congo is a regional observer member of the organization. ESAAMLG also has 34 cooperative supporting nations and organizations
All ESAAMLG members are committed to the FATF Forty Recommendations.Since the launch of ESAAMLG, a lot of progress has been made by the organisation in developing a work programme that has enabled it to undertake the core functions of a FATF Style Regional Body (FSRB).ESAAMLG became an associate member of the FATF in June 2010. The ESAAMLG operates in a global context in which other regional groups like itself collaborate with the FATF. ESAAMLG, therefore like the FATF, monitors the implementation of the FATF Forty Recommendations in the region and undertakes research on money laundering and terrorist financing threats.
Strategic Objectives
- Sustaining effective Post Evaluation Implementation of AML/CFT measures in member countries under the first round of assessments.
- Sustaining the second round of assessments and monitoring of ESAAMLG members' technical compliance with the FATF Recommendations and the Effectiveness of their AML/CFT systems.
- Increase and sustain the knowledge of money laundering and terrorist financing trends and techniques in the region in order to effectively contribute to regional and international AML/CFT policy formulation.
- Expansion of ESAAMLG membership and increase the visibility of ESAAMLG in the Region.
- Strengthening and enhancing regional and international cooperation among member countries.
- Enhancing ESAAMLG's cooperation and participation in AML/CFT regional and international initiatives.
- Prioritizing and consolidating regional AML/CFT capacity building, particularly for assessing ML/TF risks and adopting risk based approach to implementation of AML/CFT Standards.
- Promoting the Implementation of risk-based AML/CFT measures which support implementation of financial inclusion initiatives.
- Consolidating the sustainability and efficiency of ESAAMLG and its Secretariat through implementing the recommendations of the Efficiency Scrutiny Working Group approved by the Council in August 2015.
Our Mission
ESAAMLG is committed to ensuring the effective implementation of international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Our Vision
ESAAMLG undertakes a range of activities to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks across the region.
Secreteriate
Ms. Fikile P. Zitha
Executive Secretary
The ESAAMLG Secretariat performs technical and administrative functions under the direction of the Executive Secretary who is responsible for leading the Secretariat, coordinating and delivering the work of the ESAAMLG on ant-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction measures.
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