South Sudan ranked the most corrupt East Africa country, again

South Sudan has once again been ranked as the most corrupt country in East Africa, according to Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

This global ranking places South Sudan as the second most corrupt country worldwide, with Somalia trailing closely behind and Syria leading the pack.

The CPI rates 180 countries based on perceived public sector corruption, using a scale of 0 to 100, where zero signifies the highest corruption level.

South Sudan’s ongoing struggle with corruption spans all sectors and government levels, hindering effective anti-corruption efforts despite occasional steps towards transparency and accountability.

In the East African region, Rwanda emerged as the least corrupt with 54 points, followed by Tanzania (38), Kenya (31), Uganda (27), and Burundi (19).

In a 2019 report, South Sudan and Burundi were also identified as the most corrupt in the region.

Despite South Sudan’s attempts to combat corruption, challenges like a lack of capacity, resources, and political will persist.

Reports from The Sentry accused President Salva Kiir’s family members of forming partnerships with international companies, alleging profiteering from the country’s conflict.

The UN Commission on Human Rights accused South Sudanese politicians of embezzling $36 million since 2016, and The Sentry reported money laundering and corruption involving South Sudanese leaders in the United Kingdom.

The UN Development Programme’s 2019 Multidimensional Poverty Index highlighted massive inequality in South Sudan, ranging from 6.3% in South Africa to a staggering 91.9% in South Sudan.