(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

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Senegal’s sonko intensifies stance against homosexuality amid rising tensions

By nigerreport / May 22, 2026

Senegal’s Sonko intensifies stance against homosexuality amid rising tensions

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has sharply criticized what he calls Western attempts to “impose homosexuality” on Senegal. His remarks come in a country already grappling with deep hostility toward LGBTQ+ individuals, marked by recent arrests.

Senegal's Sonko intensifies stance against homosexuality amid rising tensions

In early March, Senegal enacted a law doubling penalties for same-sex relations, increasing prison sentences from five to ten years. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed the legislation into force on March 31.

Prime Minister dismisses foreign criticism

Addressing lawmakers, Ousmane Sonko rejected all foreign criticism, particularly from France. He firmly dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s enforcement, despite a mid-May appeal by a group of African-origin personalities published in a major newspaper. The appeal warned of a “climate of fear, hatred, and violence” following the law’s passage.

“Ending the ‘proliferation’ (sic) of homosexuality”

The Prime Minister instead urged the judiciary to enforce the law “fully and perfectly,” asserting that the goal was to curb the “proliferation” of homosexuality. While this rhetoric resonates politically in Senegal, it risks fueling stigmatization, denunciations, and violence. Even without endorsing Western debates on the issue, upholding human dignity and protecting against hatred should remain fundamental.

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