The government will not impose a moratorium on enforcing the law against homosexuality, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko declared, vowing to curb its ‘proliferation’ and ensure the judiciary pursues cases to their conclusion. There will be no hiding of ‘big fish,’ he asserted, following the arrests of several individuals close to the Prime Minister on suspicion of homosexuality.

His stance remains uncompromising as over a hundred people have been detained in the past three months under accusations of ‘unnatural acts,’ some facing charges of intentional HIV transmission. This comes amid calls from African intellectuals, who published an open letter on May 18 demanding a moratorium on the law’s enforcement.

‘We will not accept lessons from outsiders’

‘We will not accept lessons from outsiders,’ Sonko reiterated, slamming what he described as a Western ‘tyranny’ seeking to impose homosexuality worldwide through ‘media control.’

During his address, Sonko also highlighted Senegal’s staggering public debt, now estimated at 119% of GDP. While acknowledging the country’s ‘challenging economic situation,’ he defended his administration’s economic recovery plan and emphasized increased tax revenue as a key driver of financial progress.

Finance Minister Cheikh Diba sought to reassure the public, stating, ‘The debt situation is being actively managed.’ He further announced the resumption of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the week of June 8, with plans to finalize ‘the broad outlines of a new program with the IMF’ by June 30. These discussions had been stalled since October 2025 due to disagreements over whether Senegal’s debt should be restructured.