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Senegal’s prime minister sonko intensifies stance against homosexuality

(FILES) Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko speaks during a press conference to present the governments economic action plan, in Dakar, on September 26, 2024. Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on May 22, 2026 condemned Western "tyranny" in wanting to "impose" homosexuality and rejected any attempt to stop the application of a new law toughing sentences for same-sex relations. SEYLLOU / AFP

Senegal’s prime minister sonko intensifies stance against homosexuality

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has doubled down on his strong opposition to homosexuality, accusing Western nations of attempting to “impose this practice on the rest of the world.” His remarks come amid a tense social climate in the country, where anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment remains deeply entrenched and arrests for alleged homosexuality have risen.

In early March, Senegal passed a law doubling the penalties for same-sex relationships, increasing sentences to five to ten years in prison. The legislation was signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 31.

rejection of foreign criticism

Addressing lawmakers, Prime Minister Sonko dismissed all foreign criticism, particularly from France, and ruled out any moratorium on the law’s enforcement. His stance follows a mid-May appeal by over thirty prominent African figures in a widely discussed op-ed, warning of a “climate of fear, hatred, and violence” since the law’s passage.

Sonko went further, urging the judiciary to apply the law fully and rigorously, stating that its purpose was to curb the “spread” of homosexuality. While this rhetoric resonates politically, it risks deepening societal divisions, fueling stigma, and encouraging denunciations and violence. Regardless of differing global perspectives on the issue, the protection of human dignity must remain a universal priority.