Mauritius the best-governed country in Africa, again
Mauritius has again, for the fifth year in a row, finished on top of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance.
The Index, compiled by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, supports good governance and leadership in Africa. The four categories of governance as assessed by the Index are: Safety & Rule of Law, Participation & Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development.
From a total of 53 countries (Sudan was treated as a single country), Mauritius had the highest overall score. Somalia features at the bottom of the rankings. Southern Africa had the highest regional average, while Central Africa had the lowest.
Both Liberia and Sierra Leone showed a marked improvement in governance, whereas Madagascar registered a significant decline.
Mo Ibrahim said that although he is delighted about Africa’s economic growth, he is concerned about the stagnation, and in many cases the reversal, in the rule of law and citizens’ rights. “If economic progress is not translated into better quality of life and citizens’ rights, we will witness more Tahrir Squares in Africa.”
This year’s Ibrahim Prize was awarded to former Cape Verde President Pedro Verona Pires. The prize is awarded to a democratically elected former African head of state who has served their term in office within the limits set by the country’s constitution, has left office in the last three years, and has demonstrated excellence in office. The winner receives US$5 million over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter. The prize has not been awarded for two years, apparently because of no suitable candidates.
2011 Ibrahim Index Country RankingsRank | Country | Score (out of 100) |
---|---|---|
1 | Mauritius | 82 |
2 | Cape Verde | 79 |
3 | Botswana | 76 |
4 | Seychelles | 73 |
5 | South Africa | 71 |
6 | Namibia | 70 |
7 | Ghana | 66 |
8 | Lesotho | 63 |
9 | Tunisia | 62 |
10 | Egypt | 61 |
11 | Benin | 60 |
12 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 58 |
13 | Tanzania | 58 |
14 | Morocco | 58 |
15 | Senegal | 57 |
16 | Zambia | 57 |
17 | Malawi | 57 |
18 | Algeria | 55 |
19 | Burkina Faso | 55 |
20 | Uganda | 55 |
21 | Mozambique | 55 |
22 | Mali | 54 |
23 | Kenya | 53 |
24 | Gambia | 52 |
25 | Rwanda | 52 |
26 | Swaziland | 51 |
27 | Gabon | 51 |
28 | Libya | 50 |
29 | Djibouti | 49 |
30 | Sierra Leone | 48 |
31 | Comoros | 47 |
32 | Mauritania | 47 |
33 | Madagascar | 47 |
34 | Ethiopia | 46 |
35 | Togo | 46 |
36 | Liberia | 45 |
37 | Burundi | 45 |
38 | Cameroon | 45 |
39 | Niger | 44 |
40 | Congo | 42 |
41 | Nigeria | 41 |
42 | Angola | 41 |
43 | Guinea | 38 |
44 | Guinea-Bissau | 37 |
45 | Equatorial Guinea | 37 |
46 | Côte d'Ivoire | 36 |
47 | Eritrea | 35 |
48 | Sudan | 33 |
49 | Central African Republic | 33 |
50 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 32 |
51 | Zimbabwe | 31 |
52 | Chad | 31 |
53 | Somalia | 8 |