The intensity of the debate surrounding homosexuality in Senegal has escalated. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, addressing parliamentarians on Friday, May 22, vocally opposed what he perceives as Western coercion to normalize homosexuality globally. The head of the Senegalese government firmly dismissed any notion of a moratorium on the enforcement of the recent legislation that strengthens penalties for homosexual acts.
The new measure, enacted in early March, significantly increases the sentences stipulated under Senegalese law. Following its promulgation by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 31, individuals engaging in homosexual relations now face imprisonment terms ranging from five to ten years. This legislative shift occurs amidst a prevailing atmosphere of strong opposition to homosexuality and a series of arrests related to alleged homosexual activity.
Sonko calls Western influence a “tyranny”
Addressing the Parliament, Ousmane Sonko directly challenged Western nations. He asserted that “there is a form of tyranny,” suggesting that a “small nucleus,” identified as the West, aims to impose homosexuality on the world using its resources and media dominance. “By what authority?” he questioned emphatically.
The Prime Minister singled out France, noting that he had observed “much posturing” from foreign countries, “especially France.” He maintained, “If they have chosen these practices, that is their concern, but we have absolutely no lessons to learn from them.“
No moratorium under consideration
Ousmane Sonko contrasted Western criticism with what he described as the silence of Asian, African, and Arab nations. He accused the West of seeking to “impose its diktat, its culture, its civilization” upon the global community.
Crucially, the Senegalese government head shut down any possibility of backtracking on the new legislation. He unequivocally stated that the law would be enforced and could even be made more stringent. “Should the law require strengthening, it will be,” he declared to the assembled deputies.