In its annual report published Thursday, January 23 on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in the world, Transparency International ranks Mauritania 137th out of 180 countries.

Thus, the country improves its rank by gaining 7 places compared to last year. Indeed, Mauritania was positioned in 2018 in the same CPI in 144th place with a score of 27/100 instead of 143rd place in 2017.

The kingdom of Morocco, which is ranked in 80th place, is tied in this 2019 CPI with Benin, China, Ghana and India, which all recorded a score of 41 points out of 100.

In West Africa, Senegal, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire rank respectively 66th, 76th and 106th in the world.

The real causes of corruption in the world, particularly in Africa, are identified in this report.

One of the main causes would be the relationship between politics and money, according to the report. "Transparency International has this year focused on the relationship between politics, money and corruption with a direct observation on the African continent, where money makes it possible to win elections, consolidate power and promote personal interests", notes the report.

Analyzing the results, the organization says in its report, “countries in which elections and political party funding are susceptible to undue influence by vested interests are less able to fight corruption.

As a solution to fight against this scourge that undermines economies, the President of this organization, Delia Ferriera Rubro, suggests that States and governments tackle the relationship between politics and money. “Governments must urgently address the corrupting role of big money in funding political parties,” she advised.

Consolidate democracy

To make real progress in the fight against corruption and consolidate democracy around the world, Transparency International has called on all governments to:

Strengthen the institutions responsible for maintaining checks and balances, including checks and balances on political power, and ensure that they can operate without pressure;

Address gaps in the implementation of anti-corruption legislation, practices and enforcement of standards;

Support civil society organizations which are relays in political matters and monitor public expenditure, particularly at the local level;

Support free and independent media and ensure the safety of journalists so that they can work free from intimidation and harassment.