Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has criticised Western countries over what he described as attempts to impose acceptance of homosexuality on African nations.
Speaking before lawmakers on Friday, Sonko said Senegal would not back down from enforcing its newly strengthened law against same-sex relations.
According to him, Western nations are using their global influence and media power to push values that do not align with Senegal’s culture and beliefs.
“There are eight billion people in the world, but a small group called the West, because it has resources and controls the media, wants to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world,” Sonko said during his address.
The comments come weeks after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed a new law increasing penalties tied to same-sex relationships in the predominantly Muslim West African nation.
Under the revised legislation, people convicted of same-sex relations described in the law as “acts against nature” now face between five and 10 years in prison. Previously, the offence carried a sentence of one to five years.
The law also introduces prison terms of three to seven years for anyone found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
Debates around LGBTQ rights have remained highly sensitive in Senegal, where many political and religious leaders strongly oppose homosexuality. Advocacy for gay rights is often portrayed by critics as an attempt by Western countries to influence local cultural values.
Before becoming prime minister in 2024, Sonko had openly campaigned for stricter laws against same-sex relations, arguing that the existing penalties were not strong enough.
