Rwanda again ranks poorly on Failed States Index 2011

by feliciapacentrilli

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 10:23 by Felicia Pacentrilli
Kigali: Rwanda was rated 34 out of 60 countries considered to be “failed states.” The Failed States Index 2011, released June 20, was created by the Fund for Peace, an independent US research and educational organization, in collaboration with Foreign Policy, a US magazine.
The Failed States Index (FSI) 2011, which has been rating countries for seven years, calls Rwanda a country “in danger.” Rwanda scored poorly under the categories Demographic Pressures, Group Grievances, Human Rights and Factionalized Elites.
The FSI ranks 177 countries using 12 social, economic and political indicators of pressure on the state, along with over 100 sub-indicators. The indicators of state vulnerability include Demographic Pressures, Refugees/Internally Displaced People, Group Grievances, Human Flight, Uneven Development, Economic Decline, Delegitimization of the State, Public Services, Human Rights, Security Apparatus, Factionalized Elites and External Intervention.
Each indicator is rated on a scale of 1-10, based on the analysis of millions of publicly available documents, other quantitative data and assessments by analysts. A high score indicates high pressure on the state, and therefore a higher risk of instability.
For example, Rwanda’s worst score this year was 8.9 out of 10 for demographic pressures, the same score received by Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Zambia. In comparison, Haiti received 10 out of 10 for demographic pressures, and suffered the greatest decline in the 2011 FSI, largely as a result of the January 2010 earthquake and aftermath.
In 2010, Rwanda ranked 40 out of 177 countries, tied with Laos and Cambodia. Again, Rwanda’s poorest score, 9.1 out of 10 was for mounting demographic pressures, followed by 8.5 out of 10 for vengeance-seeking group grievances.
In 2009, Rwanda was ranked 45, in 2008 was at 42, while in 2007 was ranked at 36, all consistent with the “in danger” classification. In 2006, it was ranked 24 and in the “warning” zone, and in 2005, the year the rankings began, Rwanda received its lowest score of 12, beside North Korea and Afghanistan, so there have definitely been some major improvements in Rwanda that have raised its rankings in the past few years.
However, in an article published June 20, Foreign Policy magazine journalist J.J. Messner says, “In Rwanda, the increasing authoritarianism of President Paul Kagame, including further restrictions on the media and opposition groups, did no favours for the country’s score card.”
Somali was ranked the number one failed state for the fourth consecutive year, citing widespread lawlessness, ineffective government, insurgency, crime and well-publicized pirate attacks against foreign vessels. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Ivory Coast and Guinea are all considered in “critical” condition. Finland was ranked as the most stable country.
The Fund for Peace says the FSI can help in developing ideas for promoting greater stability worldwide, spurring conversations, encouraging debate and most of all help in guiding strategies for sustainable security.