Senegal prime minister Ousmane Sonko confirms strict enforcement of anti-homosexuality law

Sénégal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has formally announced that the legislative measures toughening the ban on homosexual acts will be fully implemented.

During a parliamentary session held on Friday, May 22, 2026, the head of the Senegalese government addressed the Assemblée nationale to clarify the executive’s stance on the new legal provisions. Ousmane Sonko spoke directly to the international criticism, largely originating from Western countries, which has targeted Sénégal for increasing the severity of punishments related to “acts against nature.”

The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Sénégal is a sovereign nation that must protect its social fabric from practices deemed unacceptable by its population. “The Senegalese people are sovereign. In their vast majority, they reject certain practices within Sénégal,” stated Ousmane Sonko.

A stand against “Western tyranny”

In response to backlash from certain figures within the African elite, including Me Alice Nkom, Ousmane Sonko insisted that the law ratified by the Assemblée nationale would be enforced to its maximum extent. He characterized the global pressure as a form of cultural imposition.

“We are witnessing a kind of tyranny. There are eight billion people on this planet, yet a small group known as the West—where the internal debate on this issue is not even settled—seeks to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world because they control the media and resources. On what grounds?” Ousmane Sonko questioned.

He further assured that no suspension or moratorium would be considered following the official promulgation of the text. “This law will be applied,” he emphasized.

The Assemblée nationale previously adopted Law No. 2026-08 on March 27, 2026, which amends Article 319 of the 1965 Penal Code. This reform specifically aims to sharpen the legal response to “acts against nature.”

In Sénégal, the updated legislation clarifies the legal definition of these acts, increases prison terms, and criminalizes both the promotion and the financing of such behaviors. The law specifies that any sexual act or act of a sexual nature between individuals of the same sex is classified as an act against nature. The definition also extends to sexual acts committed by any person on a human cadaver or an animal.

Under the new rules, anyone found guilty of an act against nature faces an imprisonment period of 5 to 10 years and a fine ranging from 2,000,000 to 10,000,000 francs CFA. These sanctions are applied without prejudice to existing penalties for related crimes such as rape or pedophilia.