The Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has condemned what he describes as Western tyranny attempting to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world. Speaking to lawmakers, he firmly rejected any moratorium on the enforcement of a newly passed law that doubles prison sentences for same-sex relations, now punishable by five to ten years behind bars. The legislation, signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 31, follows a wave of homophobia and multiple arrests linked to alleged homosexuality in the country.

« There exists a form of tyranny, » Sonko argued. « With eight billion people globally, a small Western bloc—despite internal divisions—leverages its media dominance to dictate global standards. But on what authority? » He criticized vocal reactions from abroad, particularly in France, stating, « If those countries have chosen these practices, that is their concern. Senegal has no lessons to take from them—none whatsoever. »

No moratorium will be granted

The Prime Minister dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s application, emphasizing that Western attempts to impose their agenda are met with silence elsewhere. « Not a single Asian, African, or Arab nation has criticized us, » he noted. « If this law needs strengthening, it will be. » He urged the judiciary to ensure total, impartial, and rigorous enforcement, asserting that the law’s primary goal is to halt the spread of homosexuality.

Sonko also rejected a recent appeal for a moratorium from a group of roughly thirty African-origin intellectuals, whose open letter in a French newspaper mid-May cited a climate of « fear, hatred, and violence » gripping Senegal post-law passage. « There will be no moratorium, » he declared. « Some of our elites suffer from deep-seated complexes. »

Same-sex relations remain widely condemned in Senegal, where the government has long championed stricter penalties as a political rallying point.