Senegalese government and G7 education unions reach agreement to end school crisis

IMF praises Senegal's transparency in addressing public debt, acknowledges inherited financial challenges

During the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, discussions focused on sub-Saharan Africa's economic outlook, with Senegal's situation specifically addressed by Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF's Africa Department. Selassie reported "very constructive" exchanges with Senegalese authorities, commending their approach to public debt. He stated that the government promptly alerted the IMF, made significant efforts to identify all misreporting, shared evaluations, and worked to pinpoint systemic issues. Selassie emphasized that there is "no transparency problem concerning public debt," highlighting the "exceptional frankness and transparency" of the new authorities. However, he acknowledged that this administration has inherited a substantial debt, and the current challenge is to determine the best way to manage it. Additionally, Abebe Aemro Selassie will retire from his position as Director of the IMF's Africa Department on May 1, 2026, and will be succeeded by Zeine Zeidane, currently Deputy Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department.