Ousmane Sonko addresses the assembly after being elected as the President of the National Assembly in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. -
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Bassirou Diomaye Faye
The International Monetary Fund was a key focus on Tuesday during discussions in the Senegalese National Assembly.
In presenting the government's overarching policy statement, Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo defended the recent arrangement with the IMF involving a three-year support program totaling $2.2 billion.
"If you cannot operate without the IMF, establish a program with them, as it is the only institution authorized to assess a nation's macroeconomic direction and the sustainability of its debt.”
Members of parliament opposing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s Kiiray party and his new IMF arrangement expressed their concerns over Lo’s remarks.
"Diomaye and Kiiraay do not embody a sovereign Senegal, but rather a subservient Senegal," MP Guy Marius Sagna, from the PASTEF party, stated in the Assembly.
"A Senegal under IMF influence. Prime Minister, there have been moments when I felt I was not addressing the Prime Minister of Senegal but rather the chairperson of a board acting in favor of the IMF, given how frequently I have heard you extolling the IMF, attempting to persuade the National Assembly that we should not fear the IMF, which has never successfully developed any country."
Senegal is grappling with approximately $3.5 billion in outstanding payments. Lo mentioned that the agreement with the IMF will restructure its debt by extending payment timelines and renegotiating interest rates. Dakar is also in the process of renegotiating around 30 mining contracts.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is at odds with his former prime minister and PASTEF party leader Ousmane Sonko - now the Assembly speaker - over several issues, including the IMF program.
