On Friday, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko forcefully condemned what he described as Western « tyranny » in its attempts to « impose » LGBTQ+ values, rejecting any interference with a newly enacted law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relationships.

Debates surrounding LGBTQ+ rights have intensified in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation, where promoting homosexuality is widely viewed as an attempt by foreign powers to impose alien cultural norms.

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

Dozens have been detained under the new provisions since its enforcement.

« There is a form of tyranny at play. The world has eight billion people, yet there exists a small group called the West… which, due to its resources and control over global media, seeks to impose this (homosexuality) on the rest of the world, » Sonko declared during a parliamentary address.

The Prime Minister emphasized that no Asian, African, or Arab nation has criticized Senegal, contrasting sharply with Western condemnation, particularly from France.

He also urged the judiciary to ensure the « full and strict » application of the law.

The revised legislation criminalizes « unnatural acts, » a term used to describe same-sex relationships, with sentences ranging from five to ten years—up from one to five years previously.

Additional penalties of three to seven years in prison apply to those found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relations.

Sonko firmly dismissed calls for a « moratorium » on the law’s enforcement, following an open letter published this month by over thirty African-origin figures in a French daily newspaper.

Before assuming office in 2024, Sonko had pledged to reclassify same-sex relations from a minor offense to a criminal act, fulfilling a key campaign promise.