DAKAR, Senegal — Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has rejected calls for a moratorium on the enforcement of a new law imposing harsher penalties for same-sex relations, accusing Western countries of trying to pressure Senegal into accepting values he said were foreign to its society.
Addressing lawmakers in Dakar, Sonko said Senegal would not take lessons from countries that had criticised the legislation. He argued that LGBTQ rights advocacy was being promoted by a “small nucleus” of powerful Western states with financial resources and media influence.
“If they have opted for these practices, it’s their problem, but we don’t have any lessons to take from them,” Sonko said, according to AFP. He urged the justice system to ensure the law is applied “totally.”
The law, signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the end of March, doubles the maximum penalty for same-sex relations from five years to 10 years in prison. It also introduces prison terms of three to seven years for those convicted of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
Sonko’s remarks came after about 30 public figures of African origin published an opinion article in the French daily Libération calling for a pause in enforcement. The prime minister dismissed the appeal and said criticism had come mainly from Western countries, particularly France.
LGBTQ issues have become increasingly contentious in Muslim-majority Senegal, where same-sex relations were already criminalised under provisions covering “acts against nature.” Rights groups say the new law will deepen stigma, encourage arrests and make public-health outreach more difficult. The Guardian reported last month that more than 60 people had been arrested since February under existing anti-gay laws, with activists warning that fear is driving vulnerable communities underground.
Supporters of the law say it reflects Senegal’s religious and cultural values and protects society from what they describe as external pressure. Critics argue that it violates fundamental rights and could expose LGBTQ people, health workers and civil society groups to greater risk.
Before becoming prime minister in 2024, Sonko had promised to harden the legal status of same-sex relations, moving beyond the previous classification as a misdemeanour. His government has presented the tougher law as part of a broader defence of national sovereignty and social values.
The debate comes at a politically sensitive moment for Senegal, with the government facing both domestic expectations for reform and international scrutiny over rights protections. For now, Sonko’s message is clear: Dakar has no intention of softening the law, despite criticism abroad.
