Corruption in Burkina Faso

Political corruption

Forms and concepts

* Abuse of power
* Bribery
* Censorship
* Banned politics
* Political repression
* Political violence
* Cronyism
* Economics of corruption
* Election interference
* Electoral fraud
* Elite capture
* Influence peddling
* Insider trading
* Iron triangle
* Judicial
* Kleptocracy
* In local government
* Mafia state
* Malfeasance
* Misfeasance
* Nepotism
* Politically exposed person
* Pyrrhic defeat theory
* Revolving door
* Political machine
* Political scandal
* Slush fund
* Simony
* Suspicious activity report
* State capture
* State-corporate crime
* Throffer

Anti-corruption

* International Anti-Corruption Court
* Group of States Against Corruption
* International Anti-Corruption Academy
* International Anti-Corruption Day
* United Nations Convention against Corruption

Corruption by country
|  Africa

* Algeria
* Angola
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Côte d'Ivoire
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Ethiopia
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea-Bissau
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

Asia

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Kazakhstan
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* North Korea
* Oman
* Palestine
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe

* Albania
* Andorra
* Austria
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Northern Ireland
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

North America

* Canada
* Mexico
* United States

Central America

* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* El Salvador
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Nicaragua

South America

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Oceania

* Australia
* Fiji
* Micronesia
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa

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Corruption in Burkina Faso is a problem that permeates all sectors of its society. Bureaucratic corruption in Burkina Faso is particularly rampant and it was one of the main reasons for the 2014 public uprising that toppled Blaise Compaoré, who served as the country’s president for 27 years.

## Legacy of corruption

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Burkina Faso gained independence in 1960 from France when then-prime minister and army captain Thomas Sankara staged a successful military coup. As leader of the newly established communist government, he consolidated his power with an ambitious development plan focused on socio-economic reform and the nationalization of natural resource extraction. Sankara's anti-corruption rhetoric, exemplified by the country's new name—Burkina Faso, meaning "land of incorruptible men"—provided ideological support for these initiatives.[1]

By 1987, however, Sankara was assassinated and was replaced by Blaise Compaoré.[2] His successor introduced a plan that emphasized the democratization of Burkina Faso, the establishment of a multi-party system, and a process of decentralization. Under him, Burkina Faso descended in what was described as the usual trajectory of a "FrancAfrican" country: corruption, plunder of mineral resources, political murders, and nepotism.[3] To perpetuate his regime, Compaoré created networks of clientelism and patronage along with the harsh suppression of political opposition.[1] For years, bureaucratic corruption has persisted in the country and has affected key branches of the government such as the judiciary, public health, and education. This has also created a culture of impunity so that efforts to combat the problem remain challenging.

## International ranking

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In Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Burkina Faso scored 41 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Burkina Faso ranked 82nd among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[4] For comparison with regional scores, the average score among sub-Saharan African countries [Note 1] was 33. The best score in sub-Saharan Africa was 72 and the worst score was 8.[5] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).[6]

## Corruption cases

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The most notable example of corruption in Burkina Faso involved Blaise Compaoré, who ruled his country for almost three decades. His regime, which began in 1987, was marred by abuse of power and widespread corruption, particularly the embezzlement and misuse of public funds. When he assumed power after the assassination of his predecessor, Thomas Sankara, Compaoré tightened his grip on the presidency by consolidating power, suppressing the opposition, and manipulation of the electoral process.

As years passed, a culture of impunity emerged and Compaoré, including his inner circle, engaged in illicit activities to enrich themselves.[7] Paranoid of being prosecuted and imprisoned, he sought to avoid them by remaining in power through the suppression and harassment of the political opposition and exploiting flawed political processes.[8] Hundreds were killed with impunity during Compaoré’s regime.[9] One notable incident was the murder of the journalist, Norbert Zongo. He was investigating the killing of the driver of the president’s brother, François Compaoré. Zongo’s death, which the government claimed was an accident, sparked widespread protests and accusations of cover-up.[7]

By the time Compaoré was ousted during the 2014 uprising, he already amassed an estimated $275 million.[9] After he fled the country, two of his ministers, Jean Bertin Ouedraogo and Jerome Bougouma, were arrested and charged with embezzlement of public funds and illicit enrichment. The former ministers were part of eight cabinet officials, who were investigated by the National Transition Council for corruption.[10]

## Impact

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Corruption has a significant impact on Burkina Faso and its people. The misuse of public funds makes it difficult for ordinary citizens to access essential services. In order to avail of scarce resources and services, people need to resort to bribery.[1] The misuse of public funds has also hampered economic development and exposed the country to various threats, including internal security. By 2015, which is considered a transitional year for the country, Islamist terrorists have successfully infiltrated Burkina Faso and subsequent governments have so far failed to curb the problem. In 2024, about two million people have been displaced by this threat as well as the violence perpetuated by the country’s security forces. The conflict has also led to the loss of government control over around 40 percent of the country.[11]

## Notes

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1. ^ Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Republic of the Congo, Swaziland, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

## References

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1. ^ a b c Ardigo, Inaki (2019). Burkina Faso: Overview of corruption and anti-corruption. Transparency International & U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Center
2. ^ Jha, Chandan Kumar; Mishra, Ajit; Sarangi, Sudipta (2023). The Political Economy of Corruption. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-87389-4
3. ^ Ehimika A. Ifidon; Richard A. Olaniyan (18 April 2018). Contemporary Issues In Africa's Development Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-0952-8 p. 222
4. ^ "The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated". Transparency.org. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
5. ^ Banoba, Paul; Mwanyumba, Robert; Kaninda, Samuel. "CPI 2024 for Sub-Saharan Africa: Weak anti-corruption measures undermine climate action". Transparency.org. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
6. ^ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2024: Burkina Faso". Transparency.org. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
7. ^ a b Fessy, Thomas (2014). "How Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaoré sparked his own downfall". BBC.
8. ^ Munyai, Anzanilufuno (2020). Overcoming the Corruption Conundrum in Africa: A Socio-legal Perspective. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-4546-5 p. 52
9. ^ a b Wise, Christopher (2017). Sorcery, Totem, and Jihad in African Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-01312-4. p. 136-138
10. ^ Bassey, Ben (2015). Two ex-ministers arrested in corruption investigation. Pulse.
11. ^ BTI (2024). Burkina Faso Country report 2024. BTI.

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Burkina Faso articles

History|

* Mossi Kingdoms
* French Upper Volta
* Republic of Upper Volta
* 1983 coup d'état
* Agacher Strip War
* 1987 coup d'état
* 2011 protests
* 2014 uprising
* Insurgency (2015–present)

Geography|

* Borders
* Cities
* Climate
* Departments
* Lakes
* Provinces
* Regions
* Rivers
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Constitution
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Government
* Human rights
* LGBT rights
* Law enforcement
* Military
* Political parties
* President
* Prime Minister

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Currency
* Energy
* Mining
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Trade unions
* Transport

Culture|

* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Flag
* Literature
* Media
* Music
* Public holidays
* Sport
* Theatre

Demographics|

* Abortion
* Child marriage
* Education
* Ethnic groups
* Health
* Human trafficking
* Languages
* People
* Prostitution
* Religion

* Outline
* Index

* Category

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Corruption in Africa

Sovereign states|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with limited
recognition

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Dependencies and
other territories

* Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain)
* Madeira (Portugal)
* Mayotte / Réunion (France)
* Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)

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