Algeria and US discuss money laundering
US and Algerian officials conducted high-level meetings to discuss trends in financial crimes and money laundering activities reports Asharq Al-Awsat plus agencies.
Between the 11th of February to the 15th, five officials from the US Department of Justice and more than twenty-five officials representing the Algerian Ministry of Justice held a five-day workshop. The workshop took place at the Algiers Magistrate Residence in the capital city of Algeria.
The US embassy in Algeria said on its website that the focus of the workshop was on trends in financial crimes and counteracting investigative techniques.
The statement read “The event served to strengthen the security partnership between the US and Algeria through dialogue, exchange of expertise, and bilateral cooperation. Both parties explored multifaceted approaches to preventing terrorist financing and shared techniques to detect money laundering”.
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US Ambassador to Algeria, Elizabeth Moore Aubin and Secretary General Mohamed Regaz of the Algerian Ministry of Justice highlighted the joint US-Algeria commitment to combating criminal organisations and illicit financing on the final day of the workshop.
Ambassador Aubin stated “Our two countries have made great progress in the fight against terrorist financing. As threats have become more complex, more interconnected, and more technically advanced, our cooperation and mutual legal assistance becomes ever more important”.
In recent years, particularly in the Sahel region, bilateral collaboration to combat money laundering and dismantle the financial networks fueling terrorism has intensified.
The FBI participated in meetings with investigators from numerous Algerian law enforcement agencies. These agencies included the National Gendarmerie, the National Police, and Customs, as well as representatives from entities such as the Financial Inquiry Processing Cell (under the Ministry of Finance) and government and private banks.
The meetings aimed to equip Algerian investigators with the latest strategies to enhance their operational capabilities, confront militant groups’ fundraising activities and improve their ability to track public funds tainted by corruption and bribery that have been illegally transferred abroad.
Since the enactment of Algeria’s initial law for counteracting terrorist financing in 2005, the legislative framework has seen significant revisions. A robust coordination mechanism exists with European counterparts to monitor the activities of terrorist organisations, particularly their potential ties to secret migration networks originating from Sahel nations south of the Sahara.
While previous bilateral coordination primarily focused on American energy investments in the Algerian Sahara’s oil and gas sector, the emergence of terrorist groups in the region prompted both governments to strengthen security and military collaboration, notably since 2007 with the inception of “Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb”.
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Algerian government sources have indicated that the discussions between officials from the Ministry of Justice are part of the broader “comprehensive strategic dialogue” between Algeria and the US.
From December 4th to the 6th 2023, the US and Algeria conducted a joint Military Dialogue in Washington. It focused on advancing a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation between Algeria and the United States in preparation for a planned signing in early 2024.
Algerian Major General Mounir Zahi and Acting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence of African Affairs, Jennifer Zakriski led the two countries’ delegations.
When US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for North African Affairs, Joshua Harris, visited Algeria in 2023, he stated “We are very open to hearing from Algeria about what Algeria needs for its national defence… If US industry could be part of the answer to ensure Algeria has what it needs to defend itself, of course, we want to be part of that conversation”.
Asharq Al-Awsat/ Agencies.
