WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund has held positive ​discussions with ⁠Senegal this week on a potential ‌new loan program, but more time and ​analysis are needed to come up with a plan ​to deal ​with a significant debt overhang, IMF Africa Director Abebe Selassie said on Thursday.

Senegal ⁠is in focus at the IMF spring meetings in Washington this week after the discovery of billions in undisclosed ​debt, ‌now estimated at $13 ⁠billion, ⁠prompted the IMF to halt a $1.8 billion loan program ​in 2024. The ‌country has been in talks ⁠on a new financing program with the global lender for some time.

"We wanted to take time and allow the government time to come up with a program strategy that's going to be credible, financeable, and avoid too ‌much austerity on the people of Senegal," ⁠Selassie said in a ​press briefing. "So these discussions require reflection, quite a lot of deliberation, and first and ​foremost, are ‌for the government to ⁠develop."