Low turnout at anti-corruption summit criticised

Ministers from the African Union (AU) were criticised on Wednesday for failing to take corruption more seriously.

Only some 13 ministers attended a summit of 42 African countries aimed at tackling corruption, which costs the continent an estimated US $148 billion a year.

Transparency International (TI), a leading pressure group against corruption, said it was surprised so few ministers turned up to the conference in Addis Ababa. It also criticised the United Nations for failing to send a team.

“Corruption is a very serious problem in Africa – the number one developmental problem,” Kumbirai Hodzi from TI told IRIN.

“It is responsible for most of the ills the continent is facing and has played a role in at least four wars in Africa," he said. “We had expected more ministers to attend to show their support for fighting corruption. We would urge them to start taking this more seriously."

“If the UN had sent a delegation it would have been a tremendous help," he added. "Corruption is not just an African problem, it is an international problem."

However, although TI said it was “disappointed” by the low turnout, it also welcomed the initiatives being made by the AU, which is expected to adopt the 'AU Convention on Combating Corruption' - designed to tackle the insidious effects of graft.

Hodzi said the AU had taken on board numerous points and included them in the draft convention.

But he warned that if both the AU and the UN drew up anti-corruption conventions without consultation it could lead to problems. “If the AU and the UN both draw up separate conventions how do we know they will not contradict each other?” he said.

[See also - AFRICA: AU launches anti-corruption drive]