The BBC's Patrick Smith is scathing about corruption:

Corruption deals in Africa are getting bigger. The crooks are getting smarter and doing ever greater damage to Africa's economies - sucking out resources meant for health, education and clean water.

Unlike their Asian counterparts, Africa's robber-barons prefer to take their booty to Europe or the United States, far from prying eyes.

It's a system run by an international network of criminals, involving corrupt bankers laundering money, lawyers and accountants setting up "front companies" and trusts to collect bribes, contract-hungry company directors, local middlemen in Africa and the corrupt officials in African governments.

After announcing in 2002 that Africa was losing $150bn a year to corruption, the African Union drew up a convention to outlaw bribe-taking and bribe-giving. So is corruption a big concern for governments? Well, no.

No wonder people like Bob Geldof are saying things like this:

How do we stop the pornography of poverty that is paraded across our television screens every night? How much can we do to stop that and how much can be achieved while there is such egregious corruption in many African governments? The success or failure of our efforts depends heavily on the willingness and ability of African governments to govern effectively and tackle corruption.