Sierra Leone is listed among the 34 heavily indebted African countries, according to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Of the 39 countries World Bank and IMF listed with heavy debts, 34 are in Africa and they are qualified for debt relief of some sort.

The list also stipulates the criteria for being admitted and says countries must have reform plans and possess the capability to come out of power.

The list is a joint initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The initiative was launched in 1996. Information from the IMF Fact Sheet says the initiative wants to ensure that no poor country ever faces a debt burden that it cannot manage.

The debt relief efforts work through multilateral financial organisations including the global lenders and they collaborate with the governments of poor countries to lower and reduce external debts to manageable levels.

Being poor is not a criterion for getting into the list of heavily indebted poor countries. Other criteria include an established track record of capacity to grow out of poverty.

Here are the 34 countries according to the World Bank:

Ghana

Tanzania

Ethiopia

Benin

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

The central African Republic

Chad

Comoros Islands

Democratic Republic of Congo

Republic of Congo

Ivory Coast

Eritrea

Ethiopia

The Gambia

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mozambique

Niger

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Togo

Uganda

Zambia.

Source: Legit.ng