Senegal’s prime minister lambasts western pressure over LGBTQ+ rights

During a parliamentary address, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko forcefully condemned what he described as Western “tyranny” in attempting to impose LGBTQ+ values on the nation. He firmly rejected any move to delay or soften a recently enacted law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relationships.

LGBTQ+ rights have become a contentious issue in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim country where advocacy for gay rights is widely viewed as an imposition of foreign ideologies. The debate intensified when President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed into law a measure in late March that doubles the maximum sentence for same-sex relations.

Already, dozens have been arrested under this legislation, which now penalizes “acts against nature”—a legal term used to describe same-sex intimacy—with imprisonment ranging from five to ten years, up from the previous one-to-five-year range.

“There exists a form of tyranny,” Sonko told lawmakers. “The world is home to eight billion people, yet a small group called the West—possessing vast resources and media influence—seeks to impose this (LGBTQ+ agenda) on the rest of humanity.”

He emphasized that Senegal would not heed external criticism, particularly from France, where outrage over the law has been vocal. “If they choose these practices, that is their concern, but we will take no lessons from them—absolutely none,” he declared.

Highlighting what he sees as a double standard, Sonko noted that no Asian, African, or Arab nation has criticized Senegal’s stance, contrasting it with Western demands for compliance. He urged the judiciary to ensure the law is applied fully and without exception.

The legislation also introduces stricter penalties for those found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships, with sentences ranging from three to seven years in prison. Sonko dismissed calls for a moratorium on enforcement, including a recent appeal by over thirty African-origin public figures published in a French newspaper.

Sonko’s stance aligns with his pre-2024 campaign promise to criminalize same-sex relations by reclassifying the offense as a serious crime rather than a minor infraction.