Politique

Ousmane Sonko demands full transparency on Senegal’s new FMI agreement

By nigerreport / September 1, 2026
Ousmane Sonko - Président de l'Assemblée nationale

Ousmane Sonko, the former Prime Minister and current President of the National Assembly, has voiced strong opinions regarding the latest agreement between the International Monetary Fund (FMI) and the government of Senegal. Taking to his Facebook page, the head of the legislative body announced that a comprehensive debate would soon commence to scrutinize the full implications of this renewed cooperation.

Following the announcement of a new FMI accord with Senegal, which outlines a loan program exceeding 2 billion dollars (approximately 1,245 billion CFA francs) to support Dakar, Ousmane Sonko has re-emerged as a prominent critic. It was Sonko who previously brought to light a hidden debt that led to the suspension of the FMI program for Senegal back in 2024, and he is now once again challenging the government’s approach.

Ousmane Sonko stated, “We have observed the successive announcements from both the FMI and the Senegalese government concerning a technical agreement, which will only become definitive after its eventual approval by the Fund’s Executive Board.”

He highlighted that the diplomatic language employed by both parties offers no concrete details about the proposed agreement or Senegal’s specific commitments, as outlined in the FMI’s communiqué. Sonko raised several crucial questions:
  • What are Senegal’s 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, supervision of public enterprises, and the business environment)?
  • What has become of the international debt audits that were previously mandated?
These are all pressing commitments that concern every Senegalese citizen, as they are undertaken in their name and will bear the current and future burden.
Having been involved in these discussions for many months and being aware of certain directions that risk repeating past mistakes, I advocate 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 parties, I formally request 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 it to the National Assembly, as the representative body of the people.
In any event, the major outlines of these commitments will be contained within a potential supplementary finance law (LFR) or the draft finance bill for the year 2027, both of which are scheduled for submission to the National Assembly in October 2026.
And the debate will certainly take place!”

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