Armed Conflict, Violence Against Civilians Stain Ethiopia Score In African Governance Index

The latest edition of an index assessing the quality of governance in Africa places Ethiopia near the bottom, with the country’s scores for categories in the prevalence of armed conflict and in violence against civilians plummeting over the past decade.

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance, published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, ranks Ethiopia in the bottom five (49th) in the ‘Absence of Armed Conflict’ category. The country has also regressed considerably in the ‘Absence of Violence Against Civilians’ category, one of 16 assessed in the Index.

“Ethiopia is the 2nd most deteriorated country in armed conflict, impacting overall progress,” states the Index.

Ethiopia improved its ‘Overall Governance’ score slightly, performing on par with the continental average. The country also showed progress in 12 of the 16 sub-categories, while safety and security conditions deteriorated considerably.

The index asserts the deterioration has been rapid since 2019, as a result of civil war and widespread armed conflict.

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The Index also notes worsening rule of law, social protection and welfare, corruption, and education.

On the other hand, the country has made remarkable progress in the political inclusion of women, as well as in regional integration. Ethiopia has shown the most progress in terms of these indicators, particularly since 2018, according to the Index.

Seychelles has topped the overall ranks for the fifth year in a row, followed by Mauritius, Cabo Verde, South Africa, and Botswana. Seychelles is both the best performing and most improved country on the continent, gaining an impressive 10 points following progress over the decade, starting from 7th rank in 2014.

Meanwhile, Mauritius is on an opposing trajectory of worsening deterioration over the decade, losing four points

Nearly a dozen countries including Algeria, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe are showing warning signs, according to the Index.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is named after its founder, who is a Sudanese-British telecommunications tycoon. The Foundation is based in London and Dakar.