African anti-corruption agencies and the problem of independence

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Anti-corruption law enforcement in Africa is facing multiple challenges, ranging from a lack of resources to the difficulty of producing evidence that holds up in court. This blog post focuses on one aspect of anti-corruption law enforcement that has proven to be particularly challenging: the independence of most African anti-corruption agencies. Originally deemed one of their greatest strengths, our research in Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania shows that the agencies’ independence has turned out to be a major impediment.