IMF chief confident Senegal will reach a deal with its creditors
Kristalina Georgieva says a $2.2bn programme is ready and Senegal's case will test whether the reformed G20 debt framework works. Dakar hopes for a first payment in November.
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Bangkok — The head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said on Wednesday she was confident Senegal would reach an agreement with its creditors on its debts, though it is unclear how long that will take, Africanews reports.
Speaking at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, she said the Fund would support Senegal with a $2.2 billion programme agreed at staff level, and that the debt treatment itself is being negotiated directly between Senegal and its creditors.
A test case
Ms Georgieva said a successful outcome would show that improvements to the G20's Common Framework for debt treatment are working, and that creditors see Senegal as a test of the approach.
The framework was launched in 2020 to help low-income countries with unsustainable debts, and has been criticised for slow negotiations, particularly for Zambia and Ghana.
How Senegal got here
Senegal's crisis began in 2024, when debt hidden by the previous administration came to light. Audits later put the country's debt at about 130% of GDP, including that of state companies and government guarantees. A previous IMF programme was suspended.
Dakar hopes for a first payment as early as November and an agreement in principle with creditors in December. The IMF has not given a timeline.
Source: Africanews with agencies, 14 October 2026.
