Diagnosing Perpetual High Corruption in Cameroon: From Colonial Antecedents to Neo-imperialism

Abstract

Abstract Although every index of “perceived corruption” invariably ranks African nations amongst the most corrupt countries in the world, few studies have examined their particular situations to understand the causes of this “cancer.” This article analyses the causes of corruption in Cameroon, a country ranked twice as the most corrupt in the world. The analysis develops in theory triangulation to assess the following three hypotheses: (1) High Corruption in Cameroon is due to the weakness of its colonially inherited institutions and the country’s slow modernization; (2) High corruption results from the reinforcement of colonial institutions by postcolonial leaders in the context of the Cold War; and (3) The persistence of high corruption is due to path dependence and is linked to the structure of the world financial order that allows the laundering of ill-gotten wealth. Following the investigation of the causes and persistence of corruption is a discussion on its reduction, if not elimination. This research has implications for Cameroon institutions that must adopt the best-required policies to reduce corruption and boost economic development.