Yesterday’s Washington Post featured a half page advertisement summarizing Cameroon’s renewed effort towards “Vigorous, Committed Reform.” The ad, sponsored by Cameroonian President Paul Biya, detailed numerous measures recently implemented to “consolidate the rule of law and to fight corruption” following Transparency International’s 1998 and 1999 reports naming Cameroon as the most corrupt nation in the…
DetailsWhile the Zimbabwe crisis seems like a country-specific debacle, it highlights governance weaknesses across Africa. Western leaders as well as at least one African head of state are calling for African regional actors to pursue a hard line approach towards Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, who was sworn in Sunday to another five year term amidst…
DetailsThe Nigerian ruling party has called for one-term limits on the president and governors, in a effort they say will limit election-year strife in a country that has seen plenty of it. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the same political party that controls the Nigerian presidency as and a majority of seats in the legislature,has…
DetailsThe BBC reports on 64 British mercenaries who allegedly plotted to overthrow the oil-rich government of dirt-poor Guinea. “In 2004 [Guinea] had the world’s fastest-growing economy. It might not be reflected in the life of the average citizen — but it was enough to attract the attention of people with plans for a coup,” the…
DetailsOil companies: Against corruption, for transparency. At least, that was the testimony as the U.S. Congress debated a bill that would require oil, gas & mining companies to disclose their dealings with foreign governments. I went to the hearing at the House Financial Services Committee related to the new Bill, H.R. 6066, requiring private oil,…
DetailsGlobal Integrity’s Stephen Roblin went to the public release of the Transparency International’s most recent publication, Global Corruption Report 2008: Corruption in the Water Sector. There was a panel composed of 5 people, two WB representatives, a representative from the Inter American Development Bank, a Swiss economist, and someone from a hydroelectric company in France.…
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