On Friday, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko strongly criticized Western nations for attempting to impose LGBTQ+ values on his country, rejecting any interference with a recently enacted law that toughens penalties for same-sex relations.

The debate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights has sparked significant controversy in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation where promoting homosexuality is widely condemned as an attempt by Western powers to export foreign ideologies.

In late March, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed legislation doubling the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, a move that has already led to multiple arrests under the new provisions.

During a parliamentary address, Sonko framed the issue as a matter of sovereignty and cultural integrity. “There is a form of tyranny at play. The world has eight billion people, yet a small group—dubbed the West—possessing vast resources and media control seeks to impose these practices on the rest of humanity,” he argued.

He emphasized that Senegal would not bow to external pressure, particularly from France, where criticism of the law has been vocal. “If they choose these lifestyles, that is their concern. We have no lessons to take from them—absolutely none,” Sonko declared.

Rejecting calls for a moratorium on enforcement, Sonko insisted the judiciary must fully implement the legislation, which now classifies same-sex relations under the broader term “unnatural acts.” Previously prosecuted as minor offenses, these acts now carry sentences ranging from five to ten years in prison, up from one to five years.

The law also imposes three-to-seven-year prison terms for individuals found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relations.

Sonko’s stance underscores a broader rejection of Western moral impositions, asserting that no Asian, African, or Arab nation has criticized Senegal’s position. His remarks come amid a petition by over thirty African-origin personalities published in a French newspaper, urging a halt to the law’s enforcement.

As Prime Minister since 2024, Sonko had long pledged to criminalize homosexuality, reclassifying it from a minor offense to a serious crime under Senegalese law.