Senegal: Sonko criticizes use of G20 debt mechanism

In Dakar, Ousmane Sonko, president of Senegal’s National Assembly and a former prime minister, opposes using the G20’s strengthened Common Framework to restructure the country’s public debt. He says a straightforward debt reprofiling does not warrant the mechanism, which has been criticized for slow negotiations and disagreements among creditors. Sonko called it troubling for Senegal to become the first “guinea pig” while, in his view, facing cash-flow difficulties. He warned that his parliamentary group could refuse to vote for the finance bill.