On Friday, Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko delivered a sharp rebuke against what he described as western attempts to force LGBTQ+ values onto nations like Senegal, vowing to uphold a recently enacted law that toughens penalties for same-sex relationships.

The LGBTQ+ debate has sparked heated exchanges in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim country where defending gay rights is often framed as an attempt by western powers to impose foreign ideologies.

Late last month, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed legislation doubling the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations, a move that has already led to multiple arrests.

The new law now imposes sentences ranging from five to ten years for “acts against nature,” compared to the previous one to five years.

During a parliamentary address, Sonko argued that a small group of western nations, leveraging economic and media dominance, seeks to dictate moral standards globally. “There is a form of tyranny at play. With eight billion people in the world, a tiny western bloc—driven by resources and control over information—attempts to impose this lifestyle on everyone else,” he stated.

Sonko acknowledged that the law has drawn criticism abroad, particularly in France, but dismissed it outright. “If they choose these practices, that is their affair. We have no lessons to take from them—none whatsoever,” he asserted.

Highlighting what he sees as hypocrisy, he noted that no Asian, African, or Arab nation has condemned Senegal’s stance, contrasting it with western pressure to adopt progressive social policies.

Sonko also called on the judiciary to apply the law fully, without exceptions.

The legislation does not only penalize same-sex acts but also criminalizes acts of promoting or financing such relationships, with sentences ranging from three to seven years in prison.

He firmly rejected calls for a moratorium on enforcement, including a recent appeal from over thirty African-origin public figures published in a French newspaper.

Sonko’s stance aligns with his pre-2024 campaign promise to criminalize homosexuality by elevating it from a minor offense to a felony, signaling a firm commitment to traditional values in Senegalese society.