Somalia and South Sudan Ranked World’s Most Corrupt

A new global corruption index places Somalia and South Sudan at the very bottom of international governance rankings, exposing systemic failures in state institutions and casting a harsh spotlight on entrenched corruption under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration.

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Transparency International Issues a Stark Global Warning

South Sudan and Somalia have once again been ranked the most corrupt countries in the world, according to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released on Tuesday by Transparency International.

Both countries scored just 9 out of 100, placing them jointly at the very bottom of the global index and underscoring the depth of governance collapse in two conflict affected states that have struggled for decades to build functional institutions.

The index assesses perceived levels of public sector corruption across 182 countries and territories, using a scale from zero, considered highly corrupt, to 100, considered very clean. Somalia and South Sudan occupy the lowest position, followed closely by Venezuela with a score of 10.

Transparency International notes that countries consistently ranked at the bottom share common characteristics: prolonged instability, politicised or weakened state institutions, restricted civic space, and entrenched patronage networks that allow corruption to flourish without consequence.

A Global Decline in Governance Standards

Corruption Worsens Beyond Fragile States

The 2025 report paints a bleak picture not only for fragile states but for global governance as a whole. The worldwide average score dropped to 42, the lowest level recorded in more than a decade.

More than two thirds of the countries surveyed scored below 50, signalling widespread governance failures that extend well beyond conflict zones. Even long established democracies recorded notable declines.

The United States scored 64, the United Kingdom 70, France 66, and Canada 75. Transparency International attributes these declines to weakening institutional safeguards, growing political polarisation, and diminished accountability mechanisms.

Since 2012, the organisation notes, many of the countries with the steepest drops have also imposed restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and assembly, reinforcing the link between corruption and shrinking civic space.

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Somalia’s Ranking and the Reality on the Ground

Corruption as a System, Not an Exception

For Somalia, the ranking reflects far more than abstract perceptions. It mirrors a pattern of governance under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that critics argue has normalised corruption across state institutions.

Throughout Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administrations, the sale of public land to private businessmen linked to political elites has become a recurring feature of governance. These transactions have frequently coincided with the forced eviction of internally displaced people who had sought refuge on public land, often without compensation or resettlement.

Civil society organisations and humanitarian groups have repeatedly condemned these actions, warning that corruption is being carried out in full public view, with little effort to conceal or investigate it.

Grave Exhumations and the Moral Breaking Point

When Even the Dead Are Not Spared

One of the most controversial moments in recent years came when the government issued a decree ordering the exhumation of graves to reclaim land for redevelopment. The decision sparked widespread outrage across Somali society and was seen as a profound violation of cultural, religious, and moral norms.

More recently, land belonging to Somali National University has become the centre of another dispute, reinforcing fears that no public institution is immune from land appropriation.

These incidents have fuelled public anger and reinforced the perception that corruption under the current administration operates without ethical boundaries.

Land Disputes Across Mogadishu

Markets, Fire Stations, and Cemeteries Targeted

Land related corruption has spread across some of Mogadishu’s most sensitive locations. Disputes involving the Mogadishu fire station land, Hamar Weyne market, the Argentine Market in Kaaraan, and the Police Academy cemetery have become flashpoints.

At the Police Academy cemetery, families were reportedly instructed to exhume the remains of their relatives to make way for a proposed luxury development overlooking the coastline. For many Somalis, this episode marked a moral collapse, where even the dignity of the dead was subordinated to political greed.

Market traders and low income families have also faced eviction, threatening livelihoods and deepening urban poverty in a city already strained by displacement and insecurity.

Nepotism and the Hollowing Out of the State

Public Revenue Turned Into Private Gain

Beyond land seizures, the Hassan Sheikh Mohamud administration has faced persistent accusations of nepotism and systemic rent seeking. Government contracts have frequently been awarded to companies linked to the president’s family and close political allies.

Core state functions, including taxation, visa and revenue collection, have reportedly been outsourced to private firms with direct connections to those in power. These arrangements span the Ministry of Finance, Mogadishu Municipality, Inland Revenue, the airport, and Mogadishu port.

Critics argue that this model has hollowed out the state, diverting public revenues into private hands while placing disproportionate financial pressure on ordinary citizens.

International Fallout and Aid Suspensions

Trust Eroded Among Key Partners

The consequences of corruption have extended beyond Somalia’s borders. The United States recently paused portions of its assistance to Somalia following revelations that food aid from the World Food Programme had been stolen from a warehouse.

The incident echoed earlier US accusations that both Somalia and South Sudan had allowed the diversion of humanitarian aid intended for vulnerable populations. Although Somali authorities later returned the seized assistance following intense diplomatic pressure, the episode severely damaged international trust.

Further concerns have emerged over allegations surrounding the reported sale of the Somali Embassy building in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, raising questions about the protection of state assets abroad.

A Country at the Bottom, a System Under Scrutiny

The Question of Political Will

Somalia’s joint last place ranking in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index is not the result of a single scandal or policy failure. It reflects a system in which corruption has become embedded, visible, and largely uncontested.

Critics argue that under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, corruption and nepotism have reached levels unseen even during Somalia’s transitional governments. Public property, including military barracks and strategic assets, has been looted with alarming frequency, while accountability remains elusive.

As Somalia absorbs yet another damning global assessment, the central question facing its leadership is no longer whether corruption exists, but whether there is any genuine political will to confront it.

For millions of Somalis living with displacement, insecurity, and poverty, the cost of continued inaction is not measured in index scores, but in stolen futures, eroded dignity, and a state captured by corruption.