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Email this citationCIAO DATE: 05/05
Controlling Corruption In Post-Conflict Countries
Emil Bolongaita
January 2005
Abstract
Controlling corruption in post-conflict environments is a critical but largely underestimated challenge. The chances that corruption will distort and demolish the intentions and plans of post-conflict peace agreements or settlements are relatively high. Depending on the severity of the conflict, post-conflict settings are marked by governance environments that are worse than before the onset of conflict. Weak post-conflict institutions are hardly conducive to tackling practices of deception and dishonesty cultivated during the conflict. The dilemma of recurrence of conflict looms large. Indeed, if the postwar record of post-conflict countries is any indication, the description of "post-conflict" does not hold for long, as the parties to peace agreements return to violent confrontation.
Corruption is one of the biggest challenges to the success of post-conflict agendas. This is because post-conflict environments present extraordinarily high opportunities and low punitive risks for corrupt activity. The opportunities and scope for corruption are enhanced because postconflict countries often attract or justify relatively high-levels of aid. In some cases, the amounts are extraordinary, such as the billions allocated by bilateral and multilateral donors to Iraq and Afghanistan for development assistance.
