On Friday, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko sharply criticized the West for what he described as an attempt to impose LGBTQ+ values on African nations through what he called a « tyranny of moral coercion. » He also firmly rejected any efforts to delay the enforcement of a recently passed law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relationships.

The debate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights has sparked considerable controversy in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim West African nation where homosexuality remains deeply stigmatized. Many view the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights as an external imposition of foreign values rather than a universal human rights issue.

In late March, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed into law a bill that doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, raising it from one to five years to a range of five to ten years.

Since the law’s enactment, authorities have already carried out multiple arrests under its provisions.

« There exists a form of tyranny, » Sonko declared during a parliamentary address. « With eight billion people in the world, a small group—let’s call it the West—controls vast resources and media influence. This group insists on imposing its agenda on the rest of humanity, including the normalization of same-sex relationships. »

Sonko noted that the adoption of the law had drawn sharp criticism from Western nations, particularly France, which has been vocal in its opposition to the legislation.

« If they choose such practices, that is their concern, » he stated. « We will not take lessons from them—absolutely not. »

The Prime Minister emphasized that unlike Western pressures, no Asian, African, or Arab nation has publicly criticized Senegal’s stance on this issue. He urged the judicial system to ensure the law’s full and unwavering enforcement.

The revised legislation criminalizes « unnatural acts, » a term used to describe same-sex relationships, with sentences ranging from five to ten years in prison, up from the previous one to five years.

Additionally, the law imposes three-to-seven-year prison sentences for individuals found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.

Sonko dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s enforcement, following an open letter published this month by over thirty prominent figures of African descent in a major French newspaper, urging restraint.

Before assuming office in 2024, Sonko had pledged to criminalize same-sex relations, reclassifying the offense from a minor misdemeanor to a felony under Senegalese law.