The NGO Transparency International published its report on the 2023 Corruption Perception Index on Tuesday, January 30. For the sub-Saharan Africa region, the document notes impunity for corrupt officials, restricted civic space, and limited access to justice.

This year's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows mixed results in Africa, with significant improvements in a few countries. However, most African countries have experienced stagnation, maintaining the region's consistently poor performance, with an unchanged regional average score of 33 out of 100. Ninety percent of countries in sub-Saharan Africa scored less than 50

Despite a regional survey ranking corruption among the most important issues that Africans want their governments to address, IPC 2023 shows that countries in sub-Saharan Africa have a long way to go in their fight against corruption. Seychelles (CPI score: 71) remains the best score in the region, followed by Cape Verde (64) and Botswana (59). Equatorial Guinea (17), South Sudan (13), and Somalia (11) score the lowest, with no signs of improvement

Cases of corruption and related challenges in the region's justice systems range from reports of corruption to extortion and political interference in judicial systems in countries like Nigeria (25), to the dismissal and imprisonment of magistrates accused of corruption in Burundi (25), to the dismissal and imprisonment of magistrates accused of corruption in Burundi (20), and up to the denial of justice for victims of violations of human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (20). These examples highlight the crucial role of the justice system in safeguarding fundamental human rights and social equity.