Can good governance be encouraged through financial incentives? Sudanese businessman Mo Ibrahim believes it can be and he has established a prize in his name to do so.
Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan will head the committee making the award, which “will go to former presidents and prime ministers from sub-Saharan Africa who left office in the three years prior and who showed exemplary leadership while in power” and will consist of $5-million over 10 years and then $200 000 each year for the remainder of the recipient's life. In addition the award-winner will receive another $200 000 annually for charities and other good deeds behind which they put their names. Nelson Mandela is one of many leaders to have placed his support behind the Mo Ibrahim Prize.
Ibrahim has clearly identified a need area for sub-Saharan Africa. Corruption, kleptocracy, tyranny, and chaos are rife in too many countries stretching north from the Cape of Good Hope. But there is something untoward about all of this, and I cannot quite put my finger on it. Perhaps the problem is simply providing such a huge “reward” for something that ought to be a basic expectation of any leader.
At the same time, Ibrahim's gesture at least represents an effort to do something to address an issue that continues to plague the region, and the fact that Mandela and others have gotten on board leads me to leave my skepticism at the door at least for the time being.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
