Senegal Coalition Urges Audit, Cancellation of Unreported Debt

A coalition of lawmakers, economists and civil groups called for an audit to determine whether $7 billion in previously unreported debt should be canceled, citing concerns over the strain the borrowing places on Senegal’s finances.

Senegal is grappling with the fallout from the debt, which was discovered during a review of the country’s finances by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s administration last year. All of the borrowing was done by the previous government, which didn’t seek parliamentary approval for some of the debt and also misstated some key financial figures, according to a Court of Auditor’s report.