The economic aftershocks of the ongoing conflict in West Asia and a sharp decline in foreign aid are driving a growing number of African countries to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund, the Fund said on Thursday. The IMF said 27 of 45 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are now under IMF-supported programmes, highlighting the scale of fiscal stress across the region. Governments are increasingly requesting fresh loans or expansions of existing arrangements as external pressures mount. [...]