Mali sees slight decline in latest global corruption index
Mali has experienced a setback in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International. The country has fallen from 135th to 136th place on the global stage, now trailing behind its AES confederation allies, Niger and Burkina Faso.
This annual index assesses the progress of 182 nations in their efforts to combat graft. In the latest evaluation, Mali achieved a score of 28/100, resulting in a one-spot drop from its previous ranking. This decline comes even as national authorities claim to be implementing measures to tackle financial malpractice.
Challenges in governance and transparency
According to Ibrahim Harouna Touré, the regional coordinator of the Human Rights and Peace Observatory in Gao, this lower ranking reflects deep-rooted problems with transparency and state governance. “There is a distinct lack of public discourse and oversight regarding major government initiatives. When it comes to the awarding of public contracts, accountability is simply missing,” he remarked.
The civil society leader expressed concern that leaders of various state bodies are not answerable to the public. “It gives the impression of a governance system without boundaries, where each institution feels entitled to handle public resources however they see fit,” Ibrahim Harouna Touré added.
He concluded that these significant deficiencies in reporting and openness are the primary reasons why corruption remains a persistent challenge within Mali.
