The Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has strongly criticized Western nations for attempting to ‘impose homosexuality’ on the predominantly Muslim West African nation. Speaking to lawmakers, he dismissed calls for a moratorium on the enforcement of a recently passed law that toughens penalties for same-sex relations in Senegal.

In early March, Senegal’s parliament approved a bill doubling the prison sentences for homosexual acts, increasing them from five to ten years. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed the legislation into law on March 31. The move coincides with a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the country and a series of arrests linked to alleged homosexuality.

Western ‘tyranny’ over global morality questioned

During his address to the National Assembly, Sonko decried what he described as Western ‘tyranny’ in shaping global attitudes toward LGBTQ+ rights. ‘We are eight billion people in the world, yet a small group called the West, where debate is far from settled, uses its media power to impose its views on the rest of the world,’ he declared. ‘On what grounds? Why should Senegal accept lessons on morality from nations that have embraced these practices?’

The Prime Minister went on to dismiss criticism from abroad, particularly from France, stating, ‘If they have chosen these lifestyles, that is their affair. We do not need their approval, nor will we tolerate their interference.’

No compromise on enforcement

Contrary to Western demands for a moratorium, Sonko made it clear that Senegal would not back down. ‘There will be no moratorium,’ he asserted. ‘If the law needs to be strengthened further, it will be. The justice system must apply it fully, impartially, and flawlessly.’ The government’s stated objective is to ‘halt the spread of homosexuality’ in the country.

The Prime Minister also rejected a call for a moratorium issued by a group of over thirty African-origin personalities in a mid-May op-ed. The signatories argued that the law had fueled a climate of fear, hatred, and violence in Senegal. Sonko responded bluntly, ‘Some of our elites suffer from inferiority complexes.’

Same-sex relations remain widely condemned in Senegal, where they are viewed as a moral transgression. The ruling coalition has long championed tougher penalties, a stance that resonates strongly with the electorate.