NAIROBI (Reuters) - Africa is the most corrupt continent in the world, with Chad the worst offender and Botswana its cleanest nation, a survey said on Tuesday.
The Transparency International watchdog said that out of 44 African nations covered in its 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 31 scored less than three -- "a sign of rampant corruption" -- on a scale of zero to ten.
"Africa is the continent with the lowest average in the CPI," it added, confirming widespread perceptions that the world's poorest continent is also its most graft-ridden.
Topping an expanded list on Africa this year as the most corrupt nation in the continent -- and the world -- was Chad.
It was followed by Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast, all with scores of under two.
The continent's least corrupt nation was Botswana, with a score of 5.9, followed by Tunisia, South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius.
The list is closely watched by an international community that is increasingly impatient for improved governance and less corruption in Africa in return for aid and debt relief.
Regional expert Richard Dowden noted that three of the four African countries scoring worst were oil producers, meaning it was not only locals involved in the kickback trade.
"We shouldn't just shrug our shoulders at this. Western oil companies should be held to account as well," Dowden, director of the British-based Royal African Society, told Reuters.
But the main responsibility was among Africa's ruling elites, he added. "The prime changes have to happen in Africa itself but it does seem to be getting worse."
SOME IMPROVEMENT IN NIGERIA
Transparency International, which bases the list on perceptions of businessmen and analysts, urged the government of President Idriss Deby in Chad to follow up reports of graft.
"The country is marked by political instability, human rights abuses and weak press freedom," it added.
Despite its poor showing, Nigeria was singled out as Africa's most improved state, up from 1.6 in 2004 to 1.9 now, thanks to a re-energized government anti-corruption campaign.
At the launch of the index in London, the watchdog's chief executive David Nussbaum said Nigeria's case showed the anti-graft war was "a long haul, not a quick silver bullet fix."
"It is encouraging that a poor and developing country can change its score and its ranking in our index," he told Reuters.
The index was released simultaneously in various capitals around the world, including Nairobi.
Burundi and Liberia figured in the list for the first time, with low scores of 2.3 and 2.2 respectively reflecting their civil wars, Transparency International said.
"In the absence of real peace and security, the fight against corruption is an enormous challenge," the report added.
Kenya, which has been lashed for tolerating corruption by former colonial power Britain and superpower the United States, had an unchanged score of 2.1, ranking it one of the worst in Africa and a dismal 144th of 158 nations around the globe.
"Unresolved procurement scandals involving top level public officials and the potential loss of billions of shillings could, if unsatisfactorily addressed, reverse any prospect of progress in improving our CPI score," said Mwalimu Mati, executive director of Transparency International in Kenya.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051018/wl_nm/crime_corruption_africa_dc
maybe we need to send them more money.
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America's debt problem is a "sign of leadership failure"
We have "reckless fiscal policies"
America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.
Americans deserve better
Barack Obama
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