The International Monetary Fund’s newly appointed mission chief for Senegal will travel to the country early next week for an introductory visit, but discussions are not expected to advance toward a new financing agreement, an IMF spokesperson said.
The brief trip comes as Senegal faces mounting fiscal pressure following revelations of previously undisclosed borrowing that sharply increased the country’s debt load and prompted the Fund to suspend an existing lending program.
Mercedes Vera Martin, who recently took over as the IMF’s mission chief for Senegal, will visit alongside her predecessor, Edward Gemayel, for what the Fund described as a preliminary engagement with government officials. The visit is intended to establish working relationships rather than negotiate policy commitments, according to people familiar with the matter.
An IMF spokesperson said the meetings would serve as a “primary introductory visit,” adding that no substantive negotiations are planned at this stage.
Officials at Senegal’s finance and economy ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Senegal has been in talks with the IMF for months in an effort to secure a new lending arrangement after the Fund froze a $1.8 billion program earlier this year. The suspension followed the current government’s disclosure that billions of dollars in borrowing had not been reported by the previous administration.
According to the IMF, Senegal’s public debt surged to 132% of gross domestic product by the end of 2024, sharply limiting its access to external financing.
Since the freeze, the government has relied heavily on regional debt auctions to meet its funding needs, while insisting that it does not intend to pursue a formal debt restructuring.
Read Also: US Expands World Cup Travel Ban To Senegal And Ivory
Vera Martin brings recent experience managing complex sovereign debt negotiations. From 2023 to 2025, she served as the IMF’s mission chief for Zambia, where she played a central role in overseeing the country’s prolonged debt restructuring process.
Gemayel, who previously led the Senegal mission, is set to replace her as Zambia’s IMF mission chief.
Senegalese authorities have repeatedly said they hope to finalize a new IMF-supported loan program quickly, arguing that restoring access to concessional financing is critical to stabilizing public finances and reassuring investors.