Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has strongly defended the country’s controversial new law criminalizing same-sex relations, rejecting international criticism and vowing no moratorium on its enforcement. Speaking to lawmakers, he condemned what he described as Western efforts to “impose homosexuality” globally, framing the debate as a matter of national sovereignty.
Enacted in late March and signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the law doubles penalties for same-sex relationships, increasing prison terms from five to ten years. The move follows a surge in public homophobia and a series of arrests linked to alleged homosexual conduct in the predominantly Muslim nation.
During his address, Sonko decried what he termed a “tyranny” by Western nations, arguing that a small group of wealthy countries seeks to dictate moral standards unacceptable in much of Africa, Asia, and the Arab world. “There are eight billion people in the world, but a tiny Western elite—despite internal divisions—uses its media dominance to force its views on others,” he declared. “On what authority?”
The Prime Minister dismissed Western condemnation, particularly from France, as unwarranted interference. “If they’ve chosen these practices, that’s their concern. We won’t accept lessons from them—never,” he asserted. He emphasized that Senegal would not yield to external pressure, stating that laws could be strengthened further if necessary.
no compromise on enforcement
Sonko firmly ruled out any suspension of the law’s application, despite appeals from a coalition of African-origin intellectuals published in a French newspaper in mid-May. The group cited fears of rising violence and hatred in Senegal following the legislation’s passage. “There will be no moratorium,” Sonko stated bluntly. “Some of our elites are burdened by inferiority complexes.”
The government has framed the crackdown as a defense of Senegalese values, with same-sex relations long stigmatized in the country. The legal tightening has been a longstanding political commitment of the ruling coalition, resonating with conservative segments of the population.
Justice officials have been instructed to ensure the law’s “total, impartial, and flawless” enforcement, with the stated goal of curbing the “spread of homosexuality” in the nation.
