African countries must recover stolen funds that currently serve the interests and economies of Northern countries. This call was made by Tunisia's Foreign Minister, Nabil Ammar, during the opening of the first High-Level Pan-African Conference on Combating Illicit Financial Flows in Africa, organized by the African Union. The event's theme is "Africa's Tax Agenda in Combating Illicit Financial Flows: From Words to Action."
"Certain Northern countries should abandon their rhetoric of preaching, advice, and double standards. Such rhetoric ostensibly supports the principles of human rights and democracy but does not actively engage in Africa's efforts to achieve true independence and rely on its own resources to fulfill its people's aspirations for development and progress," Ammar was quoted by the Tunis Afrique Presse news agency. "It is crucial that African countries reclaim their looted funds, which ultimately benefit the interests and economies of a group of Northern countries. These countries often cite procedures and complexities as reasons for not sharing the necessary information to achieve the goal of returning these assets," Ammar noted.
The minister also highlighted the "constant inability of relevant international institutions to provide adequate solutions in this regard for developing countries in general, and the continent's countries in particular." He emphasized the "political nature of the conference's theme, which goes beyond a mere technical perspective, as combating illicit financial flows in Africa requires political commitment from the international community, countries, and governments."
"It is essential to effectively combat criminal financial activities, which not only undermine the ability of African countries to mobilize resources for sustainable development but also weaken their governance institutions, the rule of law, judicial systems, and management systems by infiltrating the state through corruption and bribery," Ammar concluded.
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Based on materials from TASS