Reporter's Notebook Comments

• The facts presented are accurate as far as I know, and I believe it serves its intended purpose of providing flavor and color to the Scorecard.
  
  
• The Notebook provides accurate information on corruption in Senegal, and the sources are fair.
  
  
• Senegal is an island of political stability in a volatile region. During the last years the country has experienced solid economic growth, in particular in the Dakar area. One reason for this sudden boom in Dakar is the civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, which led several international organizations and businesses to relocate their regional headquarters from Abidjan to Dakar. This is one reason for the boom in the building sector pointed out in the reporter's notebook.
  Compared to other West African nations, its democratic system works quite well and its economic system is both relatively transparent and efficient. However, the country continues to face challenges in its fight against corruption. This is also reflected in its Transparency International corruption perception index where Senegal is ranked 85 out of 146 countries.
  
  There are many reaons for this, poverty and unemployment is one. Fifty percent of young men are unemployed and 51 percent of men and 70 percent of women above 15 years old are illiterate. Another reason for the ranking is the heritage of the political system that established Senegal as an independent country. This system was a combination of merit and patronage. It created stability, but also enough possibility of social mobility to avoid the patrimonial politics that destroyed other West African nations such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  
  The main challenge for Senegal is to continue its tradition of political stability, while simultaneously creating more dynamic interactions between state, society and market forces. Further transparency must be introduced and the agencies supposed to promote good governance and anti-corruption must be freed from political interference. The need for such measures to be implemented are well presented in the Reporter's Notebook. If no such measures are taken, the building boom in Dakar may not only be short, it will also fail to create the spill-over effects needed to create growth in other parts of the country. Particularly important in this regard is the civil war effected region of Casamance. The conflict in Casamance is one of the world's most forgotten conflicts. It is low-key, but still an issue that must be addressed.