Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enforcing a newly strengthened anti-homosexuality law during a parliamentary address on May 22, 2026.

The law, which increases penalties for ‘unnatural acts,’ has drawn sharp criticism from Western governments and human rights organizations. Sonko emphasized that Senegal remains a sovereign nation guided by its cultural and religious values, which do not accept such practices.

“The Senegalese people are sovereign. The vast majority of them do not want certain practices in Senegal,” Sonko declared, pushing back against international pressure to reconsider the legislation.

‘A form of Western oppression’

In response to criticism from African and global activists, including prominent Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, Sonko argued that the law reflects the will of the Senegalese people and will be implemented without exception.

“There is a kind of tyranny at play. We are eight billion people in the world, yet a small group in the West—despite internal debates—uses its economic and media dominance to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world. On what grounds?” he questioned, condemning what he described as a cultural imposition.

He dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law, stating firmly, “This law will be applied.”

The National Assembly passed the controversial bill—Law No. 2026-08, dated March 27, 2026—amending Article 319 of the Penal Code to broaden the definition of ‘unnatural acts’ and introduce stricter penalties. The law now criminalizes advocacy and funding for such acts, defining them as:

• Same-sex sexual acts: Any sexual act between two individuals of the same gender.
• Sexual acts involving animals or corpses: Any sexual act committed by a person of any gender with an animal or a human corpse.

The legislation imposes severe penalties, including imprisonment ranging from five to ten years and fines between 2,000,000 and 10,000,000 West African CFA francs. These penalties apply regardless of additional charges for crimes such as rape or pedophilia.