Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Monday condemned Western 'tyranny' for attempting to 'impose' homosexuality 'on the rest of the world' and rejected any interference with the enforcement of a new law that stiffens penalties for same-sex relations.
Sonko's Address to Lawmakers
Speaking before parliament in the West African nation, Sonko asserted: 'There are eight billion human beings in the world, but there is a small nucleus called the West which, because it has resources and controls the media, wants to impose it [homosexuality] on the rest of the world.'
The new legislation, signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in late March, doubles the maximum penalty for 'acts against nature'—a term used to denote same-sex relations—from one to five years to five to ten years of imprisonment. It also introduces prison terms of three to seven years for those found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
Context of Rising Hostility
LGBTQ issues have sparked controversy in Muslim-majority Senegal in recent years, with gay rights advocacy frequently denounced as a Western tool to impose foreign values. The law passed with an overwhelming majority: 135 MPs in favour, none against, and only three abstentions.
Sonko, who became prime minister in 2024, had previously promised to criminalize same-sex relations, upgrading the offence from a misdemeanour to a felony. The legislation followed a series of arrests in February, when 12 men—including two public figures and a journalist—were detained and charged with 'acts against nature.'
International Criticism
UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the new law as 'deeply worrying', accusing it of flying 'in the face of sacrosanct human rights.' Human Rights Watch has noted a rise in 'hostility toward LGBT people' in Senegal, adding that MPs had twice previously failed to increase jail terms for same-sex relations.
Regional Trend
Senegal is not alone in tightening anti-LGBTQ legislation. In September 2024, Burkina Faso's parliament approved a ban on homosexual acts, following Mali's lead in 2024. Uganda enacted some of the world's harshest anti-homosexuality laws in 2023, allowing the death penalty for same-sex relations. Ghana is also planning to reintroduce an anti-homosexuality bill that activists warn would threaten basic human rights, safety, and freedom.
