Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko of Senegal has reaffirmed that the new law criminalizing homosexuality will be fully implemented without exceptions.

Speaking during a parliamentary session on May 22, 2026, Sonko addressed growing criticism from Western governments over Senegal’s decision to strengthen penalties for “unnatural acts” under the penal code.

He emphasized Senegal’s sovereignty, stressing that the majority of the population rejects such practices. “The Senegalese people are sovereign. In their overwhelming majority, they do not want certain behaviors in Senegal,” Sonko stated.

Confronting “Western tyranny” over global morality

Responding to domestic and international critics, including human rights lawyer Alice Nkom, Sonko condemned what he called a “tyranny of the West,” arguing that a small group of Western nations seeks to impose LGBTQ+ rights worldwide through economic leverage and media control.

“There exists a form of tyranny. We are eight billion humans on Earth, yet a tiny nucleus called the West—where the debate itself is unresolved—uses its power and media dominance to force homosexuality on the rest of the world. On what grounds?” Sonko questioned.

He firmly rejected any possibility of a moratorium on enforcement, declaring: “This law will be applied.”

The National Assembly had previously adopted Law No. 2026-08 on March 27, 2026, amending Article 319 of the 1965 Penal Code. The amendment expands the definition of “unnatural acts,” increases penalties, and criminalizes advocacy or financing of such acts.

Under the new law, “any sexual act or act of a sexual nature between two persons of the same sex” is classified as an unnatural act. The text also includes penalties for sexual acts involving corpses or animals.

Convicted individuals face 5 to 10 years in prison and fines ranging from 2 million to 10 million West African CFA francs, in addition to harsher penalties for cases involving rape or pedophilia.