Local anti-corruption watchdog OLUCOME has sharply criticized Burundi’s National Financial Intelligence Unit (CNRF), arguing that while the agency is supposed to be fully functional, it is severely undermanned and lacks the necessary capacity to operate effectively.
“The National Financial Intelligence Unit is supposed to be functional, but upon viewing it closely, you realize that it doesn’t have the power it should. It should include people from an investigative background, the judiciary, and others. However, the problem lies in the fact that, even though it exists, we can see that until today, it doesn’t function properly,” OLUCOME Chairperson Gabriel Rufyiri said on Thursday, adding that in countries where such units operate properly, illicit financial gains are not flaunted publicly.
He warned that if the unit continues to underperform, Burundi could face sanctions that would impede its ability to conduct international transactions, potentially rendering the country uncreditable in global financial markets. For the unit to fulfill its mandate, the watchdog argued, the government must grant it complete autonomy, including dedicated offices and qualified personnel.
“For the unit to function independently, the government must step away and let it operate freely, with its own offices and staff, ” said Rufyiri, according to local media.
Established in 2020 by presidential decree, the National Financial Intelligence Unit—known as the CNRF—was created to conduct financial intelligence activities aimed at preventing and combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and related financial crimes.
Operating under the Ministry of Finance, the unit is designed to work closely with security, judicial, and administrative bodies on national, regional, and international levels to share critical information in the fight against financial crime. Its structure comprises a president (a representative from the Ministry of Finance), a vice-president (from the National Intelligence Service), a secretary (from the Bank of the Republic of Burundi), and four additional members representing the Ministries of Justice, Public Security, the General Commissariat of the Anti-Corruption Brigade, and the Burundian Revenue Office.
OLUCOME’s call for reform comes as Burundi faces an upcoming audit in June that could expose vulnerabilities to terror-like acts and further destabilize international transactions.
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