The Digest:
A Paris court has found French cement giant Lafarge guilty of paying $6.5 million to jihadist groups, including ISIS and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, the first time a company has been tried in France for terrorism financing. Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, while former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received five years. Lafarge was fined €1.125 million. The company acknowledged the practices were in "flagrant violation" of its code of conduct.
Key Points:
- The payments helped strengthen groups that carried out attacks in Syria and abroad.
- The judge said the amount contributed to the "extreme gravity of the offences."
- Lafarge is one of Nigeria's major cement producers with four plants.
- In August 2025, Holcim sold its 83.81% stake in Lafarge Africa to the Chinese firm Huaxin Cement.
- Nigeria recently published a list of 48 individuals and groups linked to terrorism financing.
