Senegal PM says tyrannical West wants to ‘impose’ homosexuality

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has condemned what he described as Western “tyranny” seeking to “impose” homosexuality, while defending the country’s recently toughened penalties for same-sex relations.

Speaking to lawmakers on Friday, Sonko rejected foreign criticism of Senegal’s new legislation, which doubles the maximum prison term for “acts against nature” from five to ten years and imposes three to seven years for promoting or financing same-sex relationships.

“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,” Sonko said.

The law, signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in late March, reflects the government’s ongoing crackdown on the country’s gay community, a measure Sonko had previously promised during his rise to prime minister in 2024.

Senegal, a predominantly Muslim country, has seen LGBTQ issues draw widespread debate in recent years, with gay rights advocacy frequently framed as a foreign imposition.

The legislation has intensified scrutiny from international rights groups, who argue that it criminalizes personal freedoms and targets vulnerable communities.

Sonko, however, maintains that the law is in line with Senegalese values and national sovereignty, asserting that the country will not yield to external pressures on the issue.