Cracking Down on Corruption and Organised Crime in Mali
In the aftermath of the 2012 coup, Mali’s government has been working to rebuild trust with its citizens. A key step towards achieving this goal is tackling corruption and organised crime, which have contributed to instability and insecurity in the country.
The Problem of Corruption and Organised Crime
Corruption is a pervasive problem in Mali, with high-ranking officials allegedly embezzling funds intended for development projects. Organised crime, including drug trafficking and illegal arms trade, has also taken root, fueling violence and undermining trust in government institutions.
- Corruption has led to the mismanagement of funds meant for development projects.
- Organised crime has fueled violence and undermined trust in government institutions.
The Need for Action
Experts agree that ignoring these problems is not an option. Instead, the Malian government must prioritise tackling corruption and organised crime as a key part of its reconstruction efforts.
“The state cannot tackle organised crime before returning to the north, and it’s not likely to return as long as illicit trade creates insecurity,” said a senior official with the Malian government.
Government Efforts
To address these issues, the government is working to establish new mechanisms for tackling corruption and organised crime. This includes activating existing units, such as the Pole Judiciaire Specialise and the Organised Crime Section, and mainstreaming efforts to prevent corruption and crime across its reconstruction efforts.
- Activating existing units to tackle corruption and organised crime.
- Mainstreaming efforts to prevent corruption and crime across reconstruction efforts.
International Support
The international community also has a crucial role to play in supporting Mali’s efforts to combat corruption and organised crime. The United Nations, African Union, European Union, and other international partners must include these issues as priority themes in their programming activities, especially governance and stabilisation support.
“Including crime-sensitising its own activities and putting checks and balances in place to ensure the Malian government is able and willing to tackle this issue is crucial,” said a senior official with the United Nations.
Civil Society’s Role
The Malian civil society also has an important role to play in raising awareness about corruption and organised crime, promoting more debates, professional media coverage, better research, and collaboration with academia to generate local analysis on these issues.
- Raising awareness about corruption and organised crime.
- Promoting more debates, professional media coverage, and better research.
- Collaboration with academia to generate local analysis.
Community-Based Approaches
Working closely with the government and society, community-based approaches can help ensure that responses are context-specific and sensitive, taking into account the root causes and particular dynamics of each region.
“A sustainable effort to dealing with the impact of organised crime on stability and peace cannot rely solely on communities or the state. It requires a common understanding of what constitutes a threat to peace and stability, and working collaboratively to find ways to tackle the protection economy,” said a local researcher.
Conclusion
Ultimately, addressing corruption and organised crime in Mali is crucial for rebuilding trust between the government and its citizens, and ensuring long-term stability and peace in the country.