Senegal IMF agreement: Sonko demands transparency

Ousmane Sonko, the former Prime Minister and current President of the National Assembly, recently shared his definitive perspective on the latest accord between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Senegalese government. Through his official Facebook page, the parliamentary leader announced that a comprehensive debate would soon commence, focusing on the intricate details and ultimate implications of this new cooperative arrangement.

Following the announcement of a fresh agreement between the IMF and Senegal, which outlines a loan program exceeding $2 billion—approximately 1,245 billion CFA francs—intended to bolster Dakar, Sonko has once again taken a firm stance. He had previously brought to light a concealed debt issue that led to the suspension of Senegal’s prior IMF program in 2024.

“We have observed the successive declarations from both the IMF and the Senegalese government regarding a technical agreement, which will only achieve final status upon its later approval by the Fund’s executive board,” Ousmane Sonko affirmed.

However, the diplomatic rhetoric employed by both parties offers no substantive insight into the specifics of this proposed accord, nor does it clarify the commitments undertaken by Senegal, as indicated in the IMF’s communiqué. Sonko raised critical questions that demand public answers:

What are Senegal’s precise commitments regarding its “debt treatment”?
Which major reforms are envisioned (including public finance sustainability, protection for vulnerable households, domestic resource mobilization, expenditure rationalization, social safety nets, oversight of public enterprises, and the business environment)?
What is the current status of the previously mandated international debt audits?

These commitments directly impact all Senegalese citizens, in whose name they are made, and who will ultimately bear their present and future consequences.

Having been involved in these lengthy discussions for many months and possessing knowledge of certain directives that risk repeating past errors, I advocate for nothing less than absolute transparency.

Given that such negotiations culminate in a draft document, known as the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, which requires validation from both sides, I formally request the government of Senegal to:

Publish this memorandum to ensure accurate public information and foster a healthy debate on Senegal’s obligations;
Alternatively, transmit the document to the National Assembly, as the representative body of the populace.

In any scenario, the overarching directions of these commitments will be incorporated into a potential supplementary finance law (LFR) or the draft finance bill for the year 2027, slated for submission to the National Assembly in October 2026.

“And the debate will certainly take place!” Sonko concluded.