Global Theories and Local Reaction: Fighting Corruption and Traditional Governance in Sierra Leone

Over the years, corruption has been identified as a significant obstacle to developing the socio-economic sectors in post-independence Sierra Leone. With weak institutional structures, successive regimes have plundered the country's resources, which many attribute to being one of the causes of the protracted eleven-year conflict, underdevelopment, and persistent poverty. Post-war efforts were made to reform and strengthen state institutions to tackle the menace of illegal practices. 2000 The Anti-Corruption Commission was established and has become an essential and well-known institution within Sierra Leonean society. Legal constraints should not be the only means of fighting corruption, as a more holistic approach has to be embraced if this scourge is to be eliminated. Sierra Leone has a strong traditional culture, recognised in the Constitution and other secondary legislation, and is part of the governance structure. Traditional rulers are essential in local administration, wielding power and influence. With this power comes obligations and practices from their subjects, which helps uphold the office's mysticism. This chapter examines corruption in the context of good governance and modernity within the traditional governance structures, its power relations and authority. It seeks to explain how global anti-corruption theories have impacted the local cultural and traditional practices and analyses how their translation into the local context and how the reaction from local and traditional actors has influenced the outcome of fighting corruption in Sierra Leone.