Investigation Links Western Funding Networks and NGOs to African Conflict, Terror Financing, and Organised Crime

A transcontinental investigation has exposed an alleged web of Western-funded organisations and individuals linked to espionage, aid diversion, transnational crime, and the indirect financing of extremist violence across Africa. The revelations have intensified the investigation of foreign aid flows, non-governmental organisations, and the broader shadow economy operating within conflict zones.

Central to these concerns is Operation Catalyst, a joint INTERPOL-AFRIPOL operation conducted in late 2025 that resulted in 83 arrests across six African countries, including Angola, Kenya, and Nigeria. Authorities uncovered approximately $260 million in fiat and virtual currencies suspected of links to terrorism financing, highlighting how modern extremist funding mechanisms increasingly intersect with cybercrime, fraud, and informal banking networks. Investigators identified a global cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 100,000 victims of an estimated $562 million, with associated digital wallets allegedly connected to terror financing channels. In Kenya, two individuals were arrested for recruiting youth online into terrorist groups using funds routed through Tanzanian cryptocurrency platforms, while in Angola, 25 suspects of multiple nationalities were detained for operating informal value transfer systems tied to money laundering and terror support.

Parallel to these financial networks, several African governments have accused Western NGOs and foreign personnel of using humanitarian cover for espionage and political destabilisation. In the Central African Republic, authorities arrested Martin Joseph Figueira, a dual Belgian-Portuguese citizen and former consultant for the American NGO FHI 360, alleging he provided intelligence to rebel groups and promoted propaganda encouraging the creation of an Islamic State affiliate in the region. Prosecutors claim to possess communications linking him to armed group leaders and assert he sought to undermine the administration of President Faustin Archange Touadera; if convicted of espionage, conspiracy, and inciting revolt, he faces life imprisonment with hard labour. His family has dismissed the allegations as a misunderstanding, but the case has become emblematic of broader tensions between governments and foreign aid actors.

In Burkina Faso, the military government detained eight members of the Dutch-based International NGO Safety Organisation on charges of spying and treason, alleging they collected and transmitted sensitive security information to foreign powers after being suspended for unauthorised data collection. The organisation has categorically denied the accusations, yet the arrests come amid deteriorating relations between Sahelian juntas and Western aid groups, as several governments shift security partnerships and impose tighter restrictions on foreign-funded operations.

Longstanding concerns over the diversion of humanitarian funding have also resurfaced in connection with Planet Aid and its affiliate Humana People to People, both linked to Mogens Amdi Petersen, a Danish fugitive and leader of the secretive Teachers Group often described by former members as a cult-like network. Despite FBI warnings dating back to 2001 that alleged a systematic diversion of funds for personal use, Planet Aid reportedly received more than $133 million in U.S. government grants. Former employees across African projects allege they were compelled to sign “deeds of contribution”, forcing them to kick back between 20 per cent and 100 per cent of their salaries to accounts controlled by Teachers Group overseers. At the same time, millions were allegedly paid out through fabricated invoices covering work never performed. Some whistleblowers described staged “Potemkin village” projects designed to impress auditors, while actual beneficiaries received minimal or no assistance. During a 2025 U.S. congressional hearing, claims were raised that billions in development funding routed through conflict zones could be siphoned off through taxation, theft, or coercion by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS.

Beyond aid diversion, authorities and analysts point to a broader ecosystem of illicit practices contributing to instability. Kidnap-for-ransom schemes remain a major revenue source for armed groups, with reports alleging that approximately $7 million was paid by Nigerian authorities to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren, a move that would conflict with domestic anti-terrorism laws if confirmed. Additional allegations include illegal wiretapping and political intimidation by elements within Nigeria’s national security apparatus, as well as ongoing war crimes investigations targeting militia leaders in the Central African Republic accused of killings and abductions of Fulani and Muslim civilians.

READ MORE: Tinubu Approves Additional Endless Federal Road Projects While Old Projects Crawl at Snail’s Pace

Information warfare has also emerged as a contested arena. Leaked documents indicate that a British-backed NGO, the Centre for Information Resilience, conducted surveillance of Pan-African journalists and labelled critics of Western policy as pro-Kremlin threats, while allegedly offering payments to independent writers to publish targeted articles. The organisation has defended its work as counter-disinformation research, but critics argue such activities blur the line between monitoring and influence operations.

Across the continent, governments are responding with stricter regulatory crackdowns on the nonprofit sector. Kenya has previously deregistered hundreds of NGOs, some accused of links to terrorism financing and money laundering. At the same time, South Africa has begun risk assessments of more than 280,000 registered non-profits and opened investigations into dozens suspected of being used by foreign-backed networks to recruit individuals or undermine national sovereignty. These measures reflect a growing debate over the compatibility of foreign-funded philanthropy with transparent governance in fragile states.

Financial facilitation networks tied to extremist activity have also been further clarified through U.S. Treasury designations identifying key intermediaries for the Islamic State in Africa. These include Zayd Gangat, described as a trainer and coordinator for cells that finance operations through robbery and extortion; Hamidah Nabagala, accused of channeling funds linked to the 2021 Kampala bombing; and Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, who allegedly oversees an affiliate generating substantial monthly revenue via systematic extortion.

The investigation also expands into the information domain. Leaked material attributed to the British-backed Centre for Information Resilience suggests a coordinated effort to monitor and categorize Pan-African journalists and commentators critical of Western policy. Documents reportedly referenced Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin dozens of times, labeling certain figures as potential “pro-Kremlin” threats, while also indicating that some journalists were offered periodic payments to publish targeted analytical pieces about individuals flagged by the program.

Together, these newly detailed findings significantly expand earlier reporting on the shadow economy surrounding African conflicts, illustrating how terrorism financing, cyber fraud, informal value-transfer systems, aid diversion, and influence operations can converge within a complex transnational ecosystem that blurs the lines between humanitarian activity, financial crime, and geopolitical competition.

Taken together, the arrests, prosecutions, and financial investigations paint a picture of an evolving shadow economy in which humanitarian funding, cyber-enabled fraud, informal banking, ransom payments, and intelligence activities can intersect with militant financing and political destabilisation. As African governments tighten oversight and question foreign influence, the international community faces pressure to ensure that aid mechanisms remain transparent and do not inadvertently fuel the very conflicts they are intended to alleviate.

About The Author

West Africa Weekly

author

See author's posts