Somalia Clears World Bank Debt, Enabling First Loans In many Years

Somali fisherman carries a sailfish on his head to a fish market near the port in Mogadishu. Photographer: Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP via Getty Images
Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on Twitter

Somalia’s government cleared its arrears to the World Bank’s International Development Association, enabling the warn-torn nation to borrow from the lender for the first time in three decades.

Somalia repaid the debt after accessing a $365.9 million bridge loan from the Norwegian government, the World Bank said in a statement on its website. The repayment is part of a comprehensive plan for arrears clearance that also includes the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank.

“With this clearance, Somalia has fully re-established its access to new resources from IDA and paved the way to receive debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative to promote growth and recovery over the coming years,”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here