The oil-rich country suffered from the drop in crude prices in 2014.

By 2017 its debt had risen to almost 100% of GDP.

Like many other African countries, Congo-Brazzaville is heavily indebted to China, and it had to renegotiate its obligations to Beijing before it could finalise its loan from the IMF.

In April, it reached an agreement to restructure the debt, whereby the repayments it makes over the next few years will be reduced, but not the total sum owed.