United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

Strengthening Somalia’s Financial Crime Response

Nairobi (Kenya) – 29 July 2024 – With the gracious support of the Canadian Government, UNODC, under its Global Programme against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism (GPML), conducted a workshop for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) government authorities in Somalia. These included judicial authorities, prosecutors, investigators, and representatives from the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee (NAMLC) in a collaborative effort to provide an in-depth understanding of the entire anti-money laundering cycle.

The sessions emphasized best practices and peer-to-peer knowledge and encouraged a coordinated and collaborative approach among Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs) in combating serious organized crime, including money laundering and terrorism financing. The program focused on how different authorities can work together in the tracing, identifying, and seizing of proceeds of crime, including prosecuting and convicting criminals. The primary goal is deterring illicit activities and ensuring criminals do not benefit from crime.  The presentations provided insight into effectively implementing UN Security Council Resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) international standards on AML/CFT. 

The assistance provided by the UNODC is timely and crucial, given the country's ongoing preparations for the upcoming AML/CFT Mutual Evaluation. Hon. Lady Justice Diana Mochache, the presiding Judge at the Kibera High Court, emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to disrupt the flow of resources that facilitate terrorist activities. She called for collaborative, proactive measures to stem the channels through which terrorism is financed. 

Speaking on behalf of Somali authorities, Mr. Kamil Abdullahi, the Senior Legal Advisor of Somalia’s Attorney General’s Office, noted that “the expertise gained from this training will be demonstrated through our commitment to comply with the FATF standards. We thank UNODC and its partners for their dedication to enhancing our capabilities to combat financial crime in Somalia and across the wider region.”

The capacity-building opportunity provided by UNODC plays a pivotal role in guiding Somali authorities toward redirecting their priorities and initiating essential reforms to align existing legislation.

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For more information, please contact: 

Ms. Atuweni-Tupochile Agbermodji (atuweni.agbermodji@un.org)

Adviser, Global Programme Against Money Laundering

UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa