Ousmane Sonko, the former Prime Minister and current President of the National Assembly, has publicly shared his perspective on the recent agreement between the International Monetary Fund (FMI) and the government of Senegal. Through a statement on his official Facebook page, the parliamentary leader announced that a comprehensive debate will soon unfold regarding the specifics and implications of this renewed collaboration.
Following the announcement of a new agreement between the FMI and Senegal, which includes a loan program exceeding $2 billion—approximately 1,245 billion CFA francs—aimed at supporting Dakar’s economic initiatives, Sonko has once again taken a firm stance. It was Sonko who previously brought to light a hidden debt, a revelation that led to the suspension of Senegal’s FMI program back in 2024.
Ousmane Sonko noted that both the FMI and the Senegalese government have made public statements concerning a technical agreement, emphasizing that this accord would only become definitive upon its eventual approval by the Fund’s board of directors. He expressed his concern that the diplomatic language employed by both parties offers insufficient detail about the proposed agreement or Senegal’s specific commitments, particularly those highlighted in the FMI’s communiqué.
Sonko raised several critical questions demanding clarity:
- What are Senegal’s specific commitments regarding its debt management?
- What are the key reforms outlined, particularly concerning public finance sustainability, safeguarding vulnerable households, boosting domestic revenue, streamlining expenditures, strengthening social safety nets, overseeing public enterprises, and improving the business environment?
- What is the current status of the international debt audits that were previously mandated?
These are crucial commitments, Sonko underscored, that directly impact all Senegalese citizens, as they are undertaken on their behalf and will bear the present and future burden of these decisions.
Having participated in these discussions for many months and being privy to certain orientations that, in his view, risk repeating past errors, Sonko appealed for absolute transparency from the government. He highlighted that such negotiations are typically formalized in a document known as a memorandum of economic and financial policies, which is validated by both parties. Therefore, he formally requested that the government of Senegal:
- Publish this memorandum to ensure accurate public information and to facilitate a healthy debate on Senegal’s commitments;
- Alternatively, transmit the document directly to the National Assembly, as the representative body of the people.
In any event, Sonko confirmed, the core tenets of these commitments will be integrated into a potential rectifying finance law or the draft finance bill for the year 2027, both of which are scheduled for submission to the National Assembly in October 2026. He concluded with a resolute statement: “And the debate will indeed take place!”
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