Ousmane Sonko, the former Prime Minister and current President of the National Assembly, has voiced his strong opinion regarding the recent agreement between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of Senegal. Through a statement on his Facebook page, the parliamentary leader indicated that upcoming discussions would thoroughly examine the implications and specifics of this renewed collaboration.

Following the announcement of a new IMF-Senegal accord, which includes a loan package exceeding 2 billion dollars (approximately 1,245 billion CFA francs) to support Dakar, Sonko has re-emerged to scrutinize the details. It was Sonko who, in 2024, brought to light the existence of a ‘hidden debt’ that led to the suspension of a previous IMF program for Senegal.

“We have observed the sequential pronouncements from both the IMF and the Senegalese government concerning a technical agreement, which awaits final approval from the Fund’s Executive Board,” Ousmane Sonko stated.

However, the diplomatic language employed by both parties offers no substantive information on the specifics of this proposed agreement, nor on Senegal’s commitments as outlined in the IMF’s communiqué. This raises critical questions:

• What are Senegal’s obligations concerning its ‘debt management’?
• Which key reforms are envisioned, particularly regarding fiscal sustainability, safeguarding vulnerable households, enhancing domestic revenue, streamlining expenditures, bolstering social safety nets, overseeing public enterprises, and improving the business environment?
• What is the status of the previously mandated international debt audits?

These commitments are of paramount concern to all Senegalese citizens, in whose name they are undertaken, and who will ultimately bear their present and future burdens.

Having actively participated in these discussions for many months and being privy to certain orientations that risk repeating past errors, I unequivocally call for absolute transparency.

Given that such negotiations typically culminate in a draft document, known as a Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, validated by both entities, I formally request that the government of Senegal:

• Publicly release this memorandum to ensure accurate information and to foster a robust public debate on Senegal’s commitments.
• Alternatively, transmit the document to the National Assembly, the representative body of the people.

Irrespective of the immediate release, the primary 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 ensue!