“Progress in governance in Africa has been interrupted by the deterioration of security,” – Mo Ibrahim

Progress in governance in Africa has been halted by the deterioration of security and political rights in many countries, according to the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's Ibrahim Index of African Governance 2024 (IIAG) published yesterday, Wednesday (23)..

“Africa made great strides in the first decades of this century, but in the last 10 years we have seen very slow progress... and in the last five years things have started to stagnate and even deteriorate in some circumstances,” says the report, which is published every two years and is considered the most comprehensive on the subject, with data on 322 variables, including public services, justice, corruption, and security.

In the document's opening remarks, the Foundation's patron states that “IIAG 2024 is a worrying reminder of the threat that an increasingly deepening security crisis and a decline in the participatory environment pose to the continent's progress.”.

“Of course, it also reflects the global crisis. Escalating conflicts and deepening mistrust in democratic institutions and values are not specific to Africa; we see this all over the world, but it is particularly worrying in Africa because it threatens our economic and social progress and development, as well as the advances we have yet to achieve,” adds Ibrahim, in a publication by Voice of America. (VOA).

Against this backdrop, Mo Ibrahim warns that “we will not resume Africa’s recovery anytime soon. Ours is a huge continent of 54 countries, with highly divergent trends, some with remarkably successful trajectories, others with worrying warning signs.”.

However, the report points to some progress in global governance in 33 countries, where just over half of the 1.5 billion people have lived in the last 10 years.

(Photo DR)