While Guinea is classified as one of the poorest country in the world, in terms of natural resources it is, in fact, one of the richest, with abundant reserves of bauxite, iron, gold, and diamonds. One of the principal reasons for this disparity between the country’s natural wealth and the poverty of its population is corruption.

As the country moves towards parliamentary elections, corruption in the government has become a major concern. Most Guineans are convinced that the country cannot progress as long as corruption continues to dominate the way business is conducted by the Government of Guinea. Over 80 participants at a USAID-financed anti-corruption seminar made this clear as they applauded a speaker who stated, “A government in which the law is not applied and the public order is not respected, is not a good government. A government that will not guarantee individual freedom and rights is not a good government.”

The anti corruption seminar, launched on May 12, was financed by USAID through its implementing partner Faison Ensemble. During the three-day workshop, representatives from the civil society and government actively participated in discussions which centered on corruption as the main obstacle to political, economic and social development.

A representative from the Ministry of Education said corruption is destroying the economy and compromising the efforts to open the political process. Praising Faisons Ensemble as a strong partner, the representative urged all Guineans to join in the fight against corruption. Other government participants included representatives from the ministries of natural resources, finance, communication, health, and youth, sports and culture.

Though the group discussed a number of major topics related to corruption, the one that received the greatest attention was the systematic abuse surrounding the control of public lands. Seminar participants familiar with the situation stated that Guinea is experiencing a surge in illegal land sales as government officials reportedly sell off public lands to private investors, keeping the proceeds for themselves. In addition to being clear abuses of power and public trust, the sales have resulted in the eviction of those living on the land. Seminar participants denounced the practice as a violation of human rights.

Participants were pleased that the seminar opened the topic to public discussion and highlighted the importance of publically denouncing this problem.

“Before Faisons Ensemble became involved, we did not talk so openly about corruption,” said one woman who participated in the seminar. “Now we can discuss it and work against it. Faisons Ensemble brought a positive change to our lives. We used to think of human rights violations as a foreign idea; now we are aware that it concerns all of us. We are ready to defend our rights.”

Seminar participants proposed a number of initiatives:

Sensitize Guineans to the problem of corruption,
Define the responsibilities and limitation of power of public officials,
Prosecute those who do not respect the law,
Promote education on integrity and ethics,
Review salaries for public officials,
Educate public servants on anti corruption practices,
Train justice officials in anti-corruption strategies, and
Promote complete transparency in the judicial system.

Thanks to USAID and Faisons Ensemble, the people of Guinea are making clear their determination to denounce corrupt practices and encourage honest governance. Though corruption has deep roots that penetrate every sector of the government in Guinea, the topic is now in the forum of public debate, where the solutions start.