DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA … African Export and Import Bank compliance director Idrissa Diop says the bank is positioning to says it is not risky to do business in Africa if one knows the African regulations. He says more can be addressed at the bank’s upcoming Compliance Forum 2025 on 12 to 14 November in Kigali, Rwanda, held under the theme ‘Embracing AI to Promote and Secure Trade Through a Modern Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing

Harmonized Trade Finance: Stability Amid Geopolitical Fragmentation 1 Global commerce is shifting from a unified system to competing trade blocs with different rules and risk thresholds. 2 Fragmentation creates friction—varying regulations, compliance standards, and payment risk across regions. 3 Trade finance frameworks such as LCs, SBLCs, and guarantees provide a common language trusted across borders. 4 These instruments reduce uncertainty by standardizing expectations for payment, performanc