Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

African diplomats can’t open bank accounts in Brussels — and Qatar scandal could make things tougher

African diplomats can’t open bank accounts in Brussels — and Qatar scandal could make things tougher

‘Embassies are paralyzed,’ says Cameroon’s ambassador.

Dirty finance, corruption and money laundering are at the heart of the Qatari influence scandal that's shaking Brussels to its core.

But according to African and Caribbean officials stationed in the EU capital, Belgium's overzealous application of financial rules designed to stamp out this kind of criminality has left diplomats from some 15 to 20 countries unable to open bank accounts that they need to perform their basic diplomatic roles.

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) spoke out in June, stressing that the closure of bank accounts "causes enormous difficulties that affect the proper functioning of the diplomatic missions concerned" and warning that the freezing of their accounts is causing them "reputational damage."

The OACPS has demanded responses from banks, the Belgian government and the European External Action Service since 2021 but struggled with buck-passing between the institutions, third-country diplomats and Belgian officials told POLITICO. Embassies of countries including Cameroon, Mozambique, Djibouti, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, Kenya, the Central African Republic and Cabo Verde have been affected, according to a partial list seen by POLITICO.

The crux of the matter is a 2015 EU directive against money laundering and financing terrorism that Belgium has passed into law.

The stringent rules force banks to know why an account is being opened, who it's for and what type of transactions take place. Under these tougher requirements, banks are expected to act as a net to catch dodgy transactions. Banks also have to take more mitigating measures if money laundering risks are higher, for example with politically prominent persons — like an MEP — or if an account is linked to certain countries or regions in the world.

This means banks have to gather more data and check more information before taking up a client like an embassy or a diplomat, said Febelfin, an organization that represents Belgium’s financial sector.

The OACPS added that its members are committed "at the highest political level to combat illicit financing flows" and added that it is Belgium’s obligation to ensure the smooth functioning of diplomatic missions in Brussels. The group has established a working party to deal with the issue, which is being led by Cameroon.

"These embassies are paralyzed, they can't function normally," said Daniel Evina Abe’e, Cameroon's ambassador to the EU and Belgium. "It's difficult to function, to pay the personnel, you have to pay the suppliers, you have to pay the phones — if you don't have money, it's a way to ask you to close altogether."

It's not just OACPS nations that are affected, Abe'e said: Peru has had similar problems with its diplomats in Belgium, he said.

POLITICO contacted the four major Belgian banks, which stressed they apply a case-by-case analysis for diplomats and embassies. 

ING, for example, "does not have a policy of systematically refusing institutions such as embassies as customers," according to a spokesperson, who pointed out that the strict regulation "in the case of embassies and diplomats requires great efforts."

The Belgian ministry of foreign affairs has been putting pressure on the financial sector to facilitate banking services for foreign diplomatic services. This led Febelfin to issue new guidelines on providing banking services to embassies. But these were non-binding, and the feeling diplomats and embassies got from the banks still seems to be: better safe than sorry.

Now, a new law is supposed to change that.

Qatargate


From early next year, banks will be required by law to provide basic banking services and thus provide relief for diplomats, but also for diamond traders and others who have struggled to get bank accounts.

If a diplomat is refused three times, they can appeal that decision and get designated a credit institution in Belgium to offer basic banking services. These banking services would at least make it possible to perform simple transactions, such as direct debits, transactions via payment instruments, cash deposits and transfers.

It would be possible to lodge such an appeal as of February, said a spokesperson for Belgian Economy Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne.

The lack of banking services has become such a problem that a wide range of non-EU countries has pushed Belgium and the EU to find a fix, which is now in the works. But the cash-for-influence allegations against the Gulf state aren’t likely to make things easier for diplomats entering a Belgian bank.




The question remains how much more vigilant banks will be after prosecutors in Belgium seized €1.5 million in the investigation into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to buy political influence at the heart of the EU.

"It will have an impact. That's for sure," said Abe'e, the ambassador for Cameroon. He added that some embassies have been forced to use cash, having been frozen out of their accounts.

For Febelfin, the scandal shows how "risk factors imposed by law are not merely theoretical,” said Isabelle Marchand, the group's director of European affairs. “Such cases show that the risks do not exist only on paper and that increased vigilance does have a goal and a function for society, i.e. the fight against money laundering.”

Febelfin declined to discuss individual cases in detail, but stressed that the European directive and Belgian law indicate there are risks of corruption and money laundering with bank accounts for a "politically prominent person" or a "politically exposed person," which does indeed require "increased vigilance."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×