Zimbabwe still a failed state

Zimbabwe has once again been classified as a failed State by the United States-based Fund for Peace but this time it improved its ranking drastically, its fourth year of consecutive improvement.

According to the Failed Sate Index released today, Zimbabwe was at number 10, a drastic improvement from last year when it was ranked number 5. But last year’s index came under heavy attack with the Failed State Index itself being described as a failed index.

According to the Fund for Peace, the economic situation in Zimbabwe had improved as the European Union lifted sanctions on members of government, though not President Mugabe himself.

“The biggest improvement came at the end of the year as the EU lifted further restrictions and began giving foreign assistance directly to the Zimbabwean government,” the report says.

The EU lifted sanctions on Zimbabwe in February but still maintains them on the country’s diamonds.

FFP said that although sanctions against the government were relaxed, there were no immediate reports of improvement in the economic situation on the ground for regular Zimbabweans.

Widespread human rights violations continued throughout the country. The violations included arresting members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise during peaceful protests on human rights and economic conditions. Other groups considered threats to the government were also harassed.

Political tensions were high at the beginning of 2012 with reports of Mugabe’s illness. Rumoured to be on his death bed in Singapore, he returned to Harare in seemingly good health in April.

“With elections reported to take place during the second half of 2013, it remains to be seen if Zimbabwe can hold on to its trend of improvement or if elections will send it into a political tailspin. Overall, although its score did improve in 2012, the country remains extremely fragile and much of its population in dire circumstances,” the report said.

The Failed States Index is based 12 social, economic and political indicators. These are demographic pressures, refugees of internally displaced persons, group grievance, human flight, uneven development, economic decline, deligitimisation of the State, public services, human rights, security apparatus, factional elites and external intervention.

Seven of the 10 failed States are African countries.

Interestingly, two countries in which the United States had “intervened” to restore democracy are still failed states.

Afghanistan is ranked 7^th and Iraq 11^th.

The world’s second largest economy, China is ranked 66 out of 178 with Finland ranked the best followed by Sweden and then Norway.

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