In a fiery address to legislators, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko declared on May 22 that Western nations are attempting to impose a “tyranny” by pushing their views on homosexuality onto the rest of the world. He firmly rejected any calls for a moratorium on the new law, which toughens penalties for LGBTQ+ relationships in the predominantly Muslim West African nation.

The controversial legislation, signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 31, follows a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and multiple arrests linked to alleged homosexuality in Senegal.

“If the law needs strengthening, it will be”

Sonko condemned what he described as a concerted effort by Western powers to export their social values, stating: “There is a kind of tyranny at play. With eight billion people in the world, a small group in the West—despite internal debates—uses its influence over media and resources to force its agenda on everyone else. But on what grounds?”

He went on to criticize foreign reactions, particularly from France, after the law’s passage. “If those countries have chosen such practices, that’s their concern. But we will not accept lessons from them—absolutely not.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that no Asian, African, or Arab nation has criticized Senegal’s stance. “If the law needs to be reinforced, it will be,” he asserted. He also directed the judiciary to enforce the legislation fully, impartially, and rigorously, as its primary goal is to curb the spread of homosexuality.

No moratorium on enforcement

Sonko dismissed outright a request for a moratorium on the law’s application, made in a mid-May op-ed by a group of around thirty African-origin personalities in a French newspaper. The signatories cited fears of escalating fear, hatred, and violence in Senegal following the law’s adoption.

“There will be no moratorium. Some of our elites are burdened by complexes,” he declared in response.

The Prime Minister’s stance aligns with long-standing political promises from his party, which resonate strongly in a country where same-sex relations are widely regarded as deviant behavior. The heightened crackdown on LGBTQ+ individuals has become a defining issue amid growing social tensions.