Africa Again means Blogging Again

Wosh, two years have passed by since my last post. And funny enough, past then I had just returned from the West African Beauty Sierra Leone - and guess, where I am now. Indeed, back in Sweet Salone.

Well, this is not completely true though. Right now I am actually on the other side of Africa  - in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, attending a network meeting and getting a training in how to act as governance advisor in the African context.

But maybe I should start from the beginning:

As you know anyway (as I only told it a thousand times to each and everyone of you), I finally left Eschborn, Frankfurt and GIZ Headquarters behind and took on a new post in Monrovia, Liberia. This tiny West African state is sharing borders with Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea and gained depressing popularity for suffering from one of the most brutal conflicts in human history. You might have heard about Charles Taylor, the rebel leader, who exploited the country's natural resources (mainly gold, diamonds and iron ore) in order to fuel his long-lasting fighting for power. Being also responsible for the bloody civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone, Charles Taylor is currenly waiting in The Hague for eventually being sentenced by the international community for the various atrocities and violations of international human rights applied in his name.

Liberia is a post-conflict state (sometimes also called fragile state as it is perceived to be more vulnerable to new conflicts as other, more stable, states), still recovering from 14 years of war and in strong need for increased social and economic development.

GIZ is running different projects in Liberia - one of them focusing on what is called "Resource Governance" - meaning the responsible and development-oriented handling of the country's natural resources. And this is exactly what I will work with.

As mentioned above, Liberia does have an endowment of various minerals (and quite recently, they even found off-shore oil just in front of the West African coastline) which bear high potential to contribute to increased government revebues and national income. However, so far this did not work out so well. There is great mistrust between state and society, public service delivery is more than insufficient, mismanagement somehow became a daily routine and institutions lack capacity for proper initiating change processes.

The project hence supports efforts made regarding

a) transparent payment and revenue flows (click here for learning more about the EITI process in Liberia),

b) the development of extractives sector strategies,

c) the establishment of local development plans and

d) taking up on opportunities for peer-exchange on the regional (Mano River Union) level (click here for more details on the MRU) by providing financial means and advisory services.

Sounds interesting? Believe me, it IS interesting. I am quite excited to really dig into the issue (which indeed is nerdy, but I don't mind).

However, although I left Germany two weeks ago, I did not quite manage to actually enter Liberia but got stuck in Sierra Leone. Why that? well, on Oct 12, the first "nationally owned" elections after the war took place. There have been elections in 2005, but they were organised by the UN, striving to install a system in the country which allows for peace, stability, economic growth and social development.

Past then, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf - a Liberian by birth and former World Bank and UNDP employee, won the elections and became president - as the first woman in Africa and until today, she is the only female leader. And in 2011 she was running for presidency once again - as well as 15 others. However, the first round of election broke it down to only three candidates: Johnson-Sirleaf herself, her main opponent Winston Tubman, nephew of one of the previous presidents, and Prince Johnson, a senator from Nimba County who gained doubtful popularity for being heavily involved in a brutal Côup d'Etát against pre-Taylor dictator Samuel Doe. As you can see, Liberia's recent history is certainly not an easy thing to swallow.

As none of the three was able to reach the required percentage of votes, there will be run-offs between the Johnson-Sirleaf and Tubman, as they had the greatest share of votes so far. Prince Johnson - ranked third - has now announced to encourage his supporters to vote for Johnson-Sirleaf and this might have been the deciding momentum in this election. Prince Johnson as kingmaker? Seems likely! 

And yes, as soon as the elections are over and results published, I am allowed to go. Eventually. Right now I am hoping for mid of November. Until then, I continue my life as stranded traveller, using the office space at the GIZ Office Freetown and just work as usual.

But to be honest - I am getting impatient and want to finally see where I am going to live and work during the upcoming year(s). And I want to meet my colleague there. And I want to move into my room (in a shared apartment) which is waiting for me. Funny enough, I already know one of my future flatmate (yes, indeed, she is with GIZ as well) and I will even meet the other one here in Mozambique as she is on holidays. So I am all prepared and just need to get the GO and go.

Right, Mozambique....and why I am here: Well, this is pretty easy. I attended a network meeting where GIZ colleagues from all over Subsaharan Africa working in any kind of Governance projects meet, exchange experiences, talk about thematic issues and discuss the way forward. This meeting ended on Saturday and on Sunday a training on Governance Advisory in Africa started on Sunday and will continue until Tuesday night.

My flight back leaves on Wednesdy later afternoon and after (pretty horrible) 28 hours of travel, I will finally find myself back in Freetown on Thursday afternoon. Relaxing, haha!

But honestly, I am doing good! Heavy workload does not allow to start doubting the decision to leave Germany and makes the first weeks easier, my colleagues in Sierra Leone (it is a regional project which is implemented in both countries) are superb and Maputo is beautiful.

Certainly, there is this weird feeling from time to time, this makes you remember that you left family and friends behind and that you won't see as often as before, but this is just normal.

Sometimes decisions have to be made and I am still convinced that I made the right one. Starting a new life is an adventure and I cannot wait to leave the world of expensive hotel rooms behind and settle myself in the exciting environment of Monrovia.

And last but not at least, I officially declare this blog reloaded - and I hope very, very much that it will serve as a means of communication with you, you and you!

Take good care of yourself and miss you all!

Mozambican Impressions

 

Something to Reflect On

COP15 Is Just Ahead

What the Flushing Toilet Can Tell About Corruption

I am currently attending an Online course named "Essentials of Anti-corruption", where we shall learn about how to define, identify, understand and hopefully combat corruption. The course is quite interesting and it is fun to discuss with people online you have never seen before. However, next week it is my turn for the weekly assignment and I am requested to write about the 'drivers' of corruption in a country which is up to my choice. Surprisingly, I chose Sierra Leone and started to collect information from the internet, when I found the following article, which was published on BBC Africa Newspage in January this year. It is a ver fun, but sadly also very true. And it makes you aware about the absolute paradox situation Sierra Leone is currently facing.

Enjoy, laugh, wonder, reflect and act!!

Can S Leone flush away corruption?

By Mark Doyle
BBC News, Freetown

It is not very often that a toilet sparks political debate.

And it is even rarer for a VIP ministerial toilet to be opened up for journalistic inspection.

“ We've got to stop the leakages ”

But a little over a year ago I began a journey in a ministerial bathroom that would take me down an unusual path of inquiry - and end up as a report on corruption for BBC News.

It all began in late 2007 when I travelled to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, for the inauguration of the then-recently elected president, Ernest Bai Koroma.

I had obtained a confidential report, commissioned by the incoming government, into official corruption.

President Koroma had come to power on a strong anti-corruption ticket and the report was one of his first initiatives.

I reported on the revelations in the (until-then) confidential study and quizzed President Koroma about his promises.

During that same trip in late 2007, I went to the top floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to interview the newly-appointed Foreign Minister, Zainab Bangura.

To kick off the interview, I asked Mrs Bangura how she had found things when she took office. I was immediately treated to a tirade of complaints.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, the minister said, there was no cash, no pens and paper, no bulbs in the light sockets (which didn't matter much, because there was no fuel for the generator) and (here's where my journey begins) "No water - you can't flush the toilet because the water doesn't come up to my floor!"

I was incredulous - no water in the ministerial bathroom!

My journalistic antennae had sniffed something - and I decided to overcome my natural embarrassment.

"Could we," I tentatively asked, "have a look?"

So in we went to the ministerial toilet.

It was true. It didn't flush because there was no water in the pipes.

Delighted response

The minister's theme was serious. "We've got to stop the leakages," Mrs Bangura said, without a hint of irony.

"Stop the leakages?" I asked (we had by now left the bathroom).

Mrs Bangura said: "Stop the stealing! We've got to stop the stealing! We want to prove that there is at least one country in Africa that can work well."

When I sent the story to London, my BBC editors couldn't get enough of it.

On the radio, they played the clip about the toilet again and again - along with some of the more boring stuff about the report into corruption, of course.

I don't think I've ever had such a delighted response to a story from my bosses.

Mrs Bangura's theme had been that corruption and a lack of maintenance culture - "stealing", as she put it, more bluntly - had ruined Sierra Leone in general. And not just her toilet.

She and her colleagues were going to put things right, she said, from President Koroma down.

So when the cold began to bite in London, in the depths of winter 2008, my mind drifted to warmer and friendlier climes.

A thought occurred to me - I may even have been perched on a chilly British toilet seat at the time - that my editors might entertain a return trip to Sierra Leone.

Pushing at an open door

The idea would be to see how, a year on, President Koroma's anti-corruption campaign was going - and (here's the killer part in the sales pitch I gave the editors) to see if that ministerial toilet was now flushing.

I was pushing at an open door. The order went out: "Doyle! Get back to that toilet!"

The plane tickets were thrust upon me and I was heading for Sierra Leone before I knew it.

Once in Freetown, I visited the newly-strengthened Anti-Corruption Commission and its boss, Abdul Tejan Cole, who has mounted some serious investigations into graft.

Officials at the commission admit privately that they haven't yet caught a "big fish".

But they say they fully intend to do so - in order to convince Sierra Leoneans that they are serious in their work.

I again interviewed President Koroma, who said that any of his officials - "anyone", he emphasised strongly - suspected of corruption could be investigated by Mr Tejan Cole and his independent commission.

If they were found guilty they would be sacked, the president said, and he would protect no-one from prosecution.

Having done the weighty stuff, I then went back to call again on Mrs Bangura at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Minister," I began (with all the respect due to a senior government official), "the last time we met, you were kind enough to show me your ministerial toilet."

Embarrassment

I think the wily Mrs Bangura had seen this coming.

"The listeners would like to know," I continued a little pompously, "if your toilet is now flushing?"

She chuckled and stood up. We were on our way again into the small room.

She turned the tap.

And water came out.

Now, I'd be the last to conclude that the Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister's toilet is some sort of symbol of a revitalised nation.

The struggle against corruption in Sierra Leone will surely be long and hard.

If rich countries with almost limitless resources, like the United States or Britain, can't stamp out crimes like financial fraud - which, time and again, they have shown they cannot - what chance for little Sierra Leone?

My conclusion, rather, is that it's clear some people in the year-old Sierra Leonean government are trying to make the country turn a new leaf.

I didn't meet anyone during my trip, for example, who thought President Koroma was on the make.

But at the same time it is equally clear that suspicions remain about the probity of a number of other ministers and institutions.

The encouraging thing, I suppose, is that I can confidently report this fact because the Anti-Corruption Commission has published a series of detailed probes.

There's another reason why I can't conclude that Mrs Bangura's toilet is a conclusive symbol.

That's because my enquiries didn't stop at the ministerial convenience alone.

No, in the interests of investigative journalism, I visited another small room in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building that is used by people of lesser standing.

My findings indicate that there is still much work to be done.

So if you are reading this, Madame Minister, it is my duty to report to you that there is at least one other toilet, not far from your office, that does not flush at all.

(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7834228.stm)