Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has strongly criticized what he calls “western tyranny” attempting to “impose homosexuality” globally, while firmly rejecting any moratorium on the newly enacted law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relationships in the predominantly Muslim nation. Speaking before parliamentarians, Sonko emphasized that Senegal would not yield to external pressure regarding this sensitive cultural issue.

“There exists a form of tyranny,” declared Sonko. “Out of eight billion people worldwide, a small western minority controls global media narratives and attempts to impose their values on the rest of humanity. On what grounds?” The prime minister questioned the moral authority of western nations, particularly France, where same-sex relationships are legally recognized. “If they have chosen these practices, that’s their affair,” he asserted. “We will not accept any lessons from them—absolutely none.”

No moratorium will be granted

The Senegalese head of government dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s implementation, stating that unlike western nations trying to “impose their dictate,” no Asian, African, or Arab country has criticized Senegal’s position. “If the law needs to be strengthened further, it will be,” he warned. Sonko directed the judiciary to ensure “total, impartial, and perfect” application of the legislation, emphasizing its primary objective to “curb the spread of homosexuality” in Senegalese society.

Sonko’s remarks came in response to a mid-May open letter signed by over thirty prominent African figures, published in a French newspaper, demanding a moratorium on the law’s enforcement. The signatories expressed concerns about the “climate of fear, hatred, and violence” allegedly gripping Senegal since the legislation’s passage. “There will be no moratorium,” Sonko declared bluntly. “Some of our own elites are clearly suffering from inferiority complexes.”

Same-sex relationships remain criminalized in Senegal, where they are widely considered culturally unacceptable. The recent legal amendments represent a long-standing political promise of the ruling coalition, resonating strongly with the electorate in this conservative West African nation.