During a parliamentary address, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko condemned what he described as Western ‘tyranny’ in attempting to impose LGBTQ+ values on the country. He firmly rejected any external interference aimed at blocking the enforcement of a recently passed law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relations.

Debates surrounding LGBTQ+ rights have intensified in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation, where advocacy for gay rights is often viewed as a foreign imposition rather than a matter of universal human rights.

The contentious legislation, signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in late March, doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations—from one to five years previously to five to ten years now.

Since its adoption, dozens of arrests have already been recorded under the new provisions.

‘There exists a form of tyranny,’ Sonko declared before lawmakers. ‘With eight billion people in the world, a small group—the West—controls resources and media narratives. They seek to impose these practices on the rest of the globe, despite our cultural and religious values.’

The Prime Minister emphasized that Senegal would not yield to external pressure, particularly from France, where criticism of the law has been vocal. ‘If they choose these lifestyles, that is their affair,’ he stated. ‘But we will accept no lessons from them—absolutely none.’

Sonko urged the judiciary to ensure the law’s ‘full and strict’ implementation, dismissing calls for a moratorium on enforcement. Such appeals, he noted, have gained traction in Western media, but resonate with no African, Asian, or Arab nation.

The revised law criminalizes ‘acts against nature,’ a legal term used to describe same-sex relations, with penalties ranging from five to ten years in prison. Additionally, individuals found guilty of promoting or financing such relations face sentences of three to seven years behind bars.

Sonko, who has long advocated for stricter penalties, previously pledged to reclassify homosexual acts from a minor offense to a felony—a move he fulfilled upon assuming office in 2024.