Page 39 - The Economist Asia January 2018

The Economist January 27th 2018
Middle East and Africa 39
2 pean Central Bank. Since the introduction wantFrance outofthe currencyaltogether. Political prisoners in Ethiopia
ofthe euro, income per person in the franc Yet elites do rather well out of the sys-
zone has grown at 1.4% a year, compared tem, which makes it easier to send wealth Setting them free
with 2.5% in all ofsub-Saharan Africa. abroad. And a weaker currency would in-
Blaming the currency for slow develop- crease the cost of imported goods. The
ment is “absurd”, says Ismaël Dem, direc- only devaluation, in 1994, sparked riots.
torgeneral ofeconomyand currencyat the The recenthistoryofthe central African
west African central bank. He argues that zone is telling. A slump in oil prices from ADDIS ABABA
The regime flirts with letting dissidents
the exchange rate iswhere itshould be and 2014 widened fiscal and current-account speakwithoutlocking them up
that countries such as Ivory Coast are deficits, putting pressure on the peg. Re-
booming. But the franc zone still depends, servescovered justovertwo monthsof im- IFE in Maekelawi, a prison in Addis Aba-
as in colonial days, on the export of raw ports at the end of 2016. Yet most leaders Lba, the capital ofEthiopia, had a predict-
materials. And the central African coun- signed onto IMF programmesto cutspend- able rhythm. Three times a day, Atnaf Ber-
tries, despite sharing a currency, export ingratherthan move the exchange rate. hane and Befekadu Hailu were hauled
more to France than they do to each other. In west Africa, meanwhile, politicians from the dank, dark cell they nicknamed
Calls for reform are becoming louder. pay lip service to the idea of a single cur- “Siberia” for three hours of interrogation
Carlos Lopes, a former executive secretary rency for all countries in the region. But and beating. Mr Hailu was flogged across
of the UN Economic Commission for Afri- that would require small oil importers to his bare feet with an electric cable. Mr Ber-
ca, advocates tying the CFA franc to a bas- throw in their lot with Nigeria, a huge oil hane escaped thisparticularcruelty. “I was
ket of currencies, such as the dollar and exporter. Although the CFA franc is un- lucky,” he says.
yuan. Others think the exchange rate loved, the alternatives are risky. It will sur- The two Ethiopian activists, members
should fluctuate around a target. Radicals vive forsome time yet. 7 ofa blogginggroup known as Zone 9, were
arrested in 2014. After three months in
Maekelawi they were charged with terro-
Integrity idols
rism. After 18 months behind bars those
Good clean entertainment charges were dropped, though both are
still accused of the lesser crime of inciting
violence. Ethio Trial Tracker, a website,
claims that 923 Ethiopians are in prison on
Can a realityTVshowdiscourage corruption?
terrorism charges. Human Rights Watch, a
HE timingcould not have been better. pressure group, counts thousands more
TIn the same weekas two civil servants detained fortheirpolitical opinions.
in Nigeria appeared in court forembez- The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolu-
zlingfunds earmarked forInternational tionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has a
Anti-Corruption Day, the finalists of habit, always denied, of jailing its political
“Integrity Idol” were announced. In this opponents. So many observers were sur-
reality television show, honest civil prised when, on January 3rd, the govern-
servants workingin corrupt countries mentannounced plansto release some po-
compete forglory, fame and, occasional- litical prisoners, turn Maekelawi into a
ly, a live chicken. The show is a hit: over museum and “widen the democratic
10m people have watched it and more space”. On January17th it freed Merera Gu-
than 400,000 have cast theirvotes in dina, the country’s most prominent oppo-
favouroftheirIntegrity Idols. sition leader, along with 527 other prison-
“Integrity Idol” started in Nepal in ers. The attorney-general said more
2014 and has since spread to Pakistan, prisoners would be released in the coming
Mali, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa. months, including some of those convict-
Five finalists, vetted by a panel of judges, ed ofterrorist offences. “Ifthe government
are chosen to be interviewed. They ex- means what it says, then it has a chance to
plain why they deserve the prize. “I come politics. Elected officials may not be write a new chapter in Ethiopian history,”
to worklate. My boss could ask‘Why are nominated. Nor, in some countries, may says Mr Merera. Since his release thou-
you late?’ (…) I say I slept a little longer. people in the army. Even so, the show sands have come to see him, some bring-
Say it the way it is! Face the conse- delivers a punch in the face to crooked ingoxen to slaughterin the festivities.
quences!” one nominee exhorts. politicians and theircronies, sometimes After years ofanti-government protests
It is not always easy to find good just by its timing: in Liberia last year, it and a nine-month state of emergency that
contestants. The Nigerian nomination aired while presidential elections were was lifted last August, some detect signs of
period was extended because ofthe poor embroiled in fraud investigations. change inside the EPRDF. For months the
quality ofentrants. “People were nomi- It is difficult to know what impact the party blamed dissent on “foreign ene-
natingtheirauntie because she gave show is having, though the Massachu- mies” and local malcontents. But this
them money,” says Odeh Friday, who setts Institute ofTechnology has begun to month it issued a statement admitting to
runs the campaign. Others thought they measure it. Change may be gradual. “mistakes” and promising more democra-
qualified because they came to work on Gareth Newham at the Institute ofSecu- cy. The anti-terror law is being revised and
time. One policeman was surprised by rity Studies in South Africa thinks its otherrepressive bills may be changed.
his nomination because, he explained, greatest contribution will be in changing Yet one should not read too much into
he was involved in shady contracts. attitudes. “Too many youngpeople be- all this. Most of the prisoners whose cases
Anothernominee resigned afterhe real- lieve that you can only get a job if you were dropped were minor figures. Promi-
ised that background checks might dig up belongto the [rulingparty]. What has nent activists from Oromia and Amhara,
old dirt. been missingis a focus on the ordinary the country’s two most populous regions
“Integrity Idol” claims to steerclear of people who do good work.” and hotbeds of unrest, are still being held.
Any changes made to draconian laws will 1