The recent technical consensus reached between Senegal and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sparked intense political debate. Thierno Bocoum, who leads the Agir-Les Leaders movement, has publicly urged the government to clarify the terms of the debt restructuring and the specific conditions tied to this new financial program.
The former parliamentarian is calling for the immediate release of the memorandum on economic and financial policies. Alternatively, he insists that the document be submitted directly to the National Assembly, ensuring that the commitments made on behalf of the Senegalese people are thoroughly debated.
Bocoum’s critiques extend beyond the current administration. He also points fingers at Ousmane Sonko and Abdourahmane Sarr, identifying them as key players in the sequence of events that triggered the nation’s current debt and IMF-related complications.
Regarding Ousmane Sonko, Bocoum points out that his tenure as Prime Minister from April 2, 2024, to May 22, 2026, places him at the center of the IMF negotiations. He accuses Sonko of being actively involved in the discussions that ultimately led to the suspension of the prior assistance program.
Furthermore, Bocoum references the September 2024 revelations concerning alleged discrepancies in national debt data. He argues that this public disclosure damaged Senegal’s financial standing and triggered the suspension of the IMF support framework.
The leader of AGIR-Les Leaders also highlights the government’s reliance on regional market borrowing, noting that these loans carry interest rates far higher than those of standard concessional financing.
Former minister Abdourahmane Sarr questioned
Abdourahmane Sarr, the former Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, has also drawn criticism from Bocoum, who points out a significant shift in the former minister’s public statements regarding Senegal’s debt sustainability.
Bocoum notes that Sarr previously defended the viability of the national debt and the credibility of plans to reduce it. However, Sarr recently acknowledged that the authorities are now seeking debt relief measures to restore that very viability.
According to Bocoum, all officials involved in managing these financial portfolios must take responsibility for the current economic hurdles. This political pressure comes just as Senegal secures a preliminary technical agreement with the IMF for a fresh economic recovery initiative.