The Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, has condemned what he describes as Western ‘tyranny’ over efforts to ‘impose homosexuality’ globally. Speaking to lawmakers, he firmly rejected any moratorium on the enforcement of Senegal’s recently tightened anti-homosexuality law. In early March, Senegal’s parliament passed legislation doubling penalties for same-sex relationships—now punishable by five to ten years imprisonment—before President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed it into law on March 31. This legislative shift coincides with a surge in homophobic sentiment and multiple arrests linked to alleged homosexual acts.

Sonko emphasized that while global debate on same-sex relationships remains unresolved within Western societies, their influence over international media and institutions allows them to push their agenda worldwide. ‘We are eight billion people on Earth, yet a small Western elite—despite internal divisions—uses its power to impose this lifestyle on the rest of the world. On what moral authority?’ he questioned. ‘If France and other Western nations have embraced these practices, that is their choice. But we will not accept their lessons—never,’ the Prime Minister declared.

No moratorium, no concessions

Contrasting Western criticism, Sonko noted that no African, Asian, or Arab nation has condemned Senegal’s stance. ‘Should the law require further strengthening, it will be,’ he stated. The government has instructed the judiciary to apply the new legislation ‘fully, impartially, and rigorously,’ with the stated goal of ‘eradicating the spread of homosexuality’ in the country.

Sonko also dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s enforcement, which were made in a mid-May op-ed by a group of thirty prominent figures of African descent. The petitioners warned of a ‘climate of fear, hatred, and violence’ gripping Senegal since the law’s adoption. ‘There will be no moratorium,’ Sonko asserted. ‘Some of our own elites remain burdened by colonial complexes, seeking validation from former oppressors.’

Same-sex relationships are widely condemned in Senegal, where conservative Islamic values dominate public discourse. The government’s hardline stance on this issue has been a longstanding political priority, resonating strongly with much of the electorate.