Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has confirmed the government’s resolve to enforce a newly tightened law against homosexuality in the country.

Speaking during a parliamentary session in Dakar on 22 May 2026, Sonko addressed concerns raised by Western governments criticizing Senegal’s decision to increase penalties for same-sex acts.

The Prime Minister emphasized Senegal’s sovereign right to protect its societal values against practices deemed unacceptable by the majority of its population.

“The Senegalese people are sovereign. The vast majority of them do not want such practices in Senegal,” Sonko stated firmly.

Western pressure dismissed as ‘modern tyranny’

In response to criticism from some African elites, including Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, Sonko rejected the notion of suspending or softening the law after its adoption.

“There is a kind of tyranny at play. The world has eight billion people, yet a small group called the West, where the debate isn’t even settled, imposes its will on the rest using its financial and media dominance. But on what grounds?” he questioned.

He categorically dismissed any possibility of a moratorium, declaring, “This law will be enforced.”

The National Assembly passed Law No. 2026-08 on 27 March 2026, amending Article 319 of the 1965 Penal Code to toughen penalties for “unnatural acts,” including same-sex relations, advocacy, and funding of such acts.

Under the new legislation, “any sexual act between individuals of the same sex” is classified as an unnatural act. The law also criminalizes sexual acts with corpses or animals, imposing severe penalties.

Convicted individuals face imprisonment of five to ten years and fines ranging from 2,000,000 to 10,000,000 West African CFA francs. Additional penalties apply in cases of rape or pedophilia.