The Bank of the Republic of Burundi (BRB) has issued a new regulatory framework strengthening the country’s fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, representative government and financial sector officials said Friday.
The regulation, issued on January 30, 2026, implements Law which amended Burundi’s principal anti‑money laundering and counter‑financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) law. BRB officials said the move reflects “a determined effort to fully align the national AML/CFT system with international standards,” including recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti‑Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), as well as global best practices in financial oversight.
In a statement published on the BRB website, the central bank underscored the importance of the reform. “This regulation strengthens the obligations of regulated institutions in matters of governance, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, and the reporting of suspicious transactions,” the statement reads. It adds that these measures “are designed to prevent any misuse of the financial system for illicit purposes by requiring appropriate policies, procedures and internal control mechanisms.”
To operationalize the regulatory changes, the BRB simultaneously issued five implementing circulars providing detailed guidance to financial institutions, including banks, microfinance entities, and payment providers. According to BRB documents, these circulars focus on:
- Know Your Customer (KYC) and client identification requirements.
- Regulatory thresholds for large value and cash transactions and declarations of funds at border entry and exit points.
- Definitions and typologies of suspicious transactions and criteria for identifying them.
- Internal organization, compliance and control standards for regulated entities.
- A sanctions matrix for breaches of AML/CFT obligations.
“This comprehensive suite of directives ensures a harmonized and effective application of the system across all supervised institutions,” the BRB statement read, noting that the reforms “enhance the resilience and integrity of Burundi’s financial sector.”
The BRB’s move comes as part of broader efforts to modernize Burundi’s financial legal architecture and close long‑standing gaps identified under previous AML/CFT legislation. Observers noted that aligning domestic law with international benchmarks is critical not only for combating illicit financial flows but also for integrating Burundi’s financial market more fully with regional and global systems.
In its release, the central bank reaffirmed its commitment to implementation and oversight, saying it will “maintain ongoing engagement with regulated institutions to support compliance ahead of enforcement,” and ensure robust supervision of the AML/CFT regime.
