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.