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10/18/2005:

"Africa Worst Offender on World Corruption List"

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.

Skip to next paragraph ``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.''
nytimes.com

The Royal Africa Society, architects of centuries of genocide. The WORST offenders on the world corruption list...hmmm