On Friday, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko strongly criticized what he described as Western ‘tyranny’ attempting to impose LGBTQ+ rights on African nations, vowing to uphold the country’s newly tightened laws against same-sex relations.

Debates surrounding LGBTQ+ rights have intensified in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation, where homosexuality remains widely condemned. The government views the promotion of gay rights as an attempt by foreign powers to impose alien cultural values.

In late March, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye enacted legislation doubling the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relationships, increasing penalties from one to five years to five to ten years.

Since the law took effect, authorities have carried out multiple arrests under its provisions.

‘There exists a form of tyranny. The world has eight billion people, yet a small group called the West—possessing vast resources and media control—seeks to impose this (homosexuality) on the rest of humanity,’ Sonko declared during an address to lawmakers in this West African nation.

He emphasized that Senegal would not bow to external pressure, stating, ‘If they choose these practices, that is their concern, but we will take no lessons from them—absolutely none.’

Unlike Western nations pushing for policy changes, Sonko pointed out that no Asian, African, or Arab country has criticized Senegal’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

He also urged the judiciary to ensure the law’s ‘full and rigorous’ enforcement.

The amended legislation criminalizes ‘acts against nature,’ a euphemism for same-sex relations, with sentences ranging from five to ten years in prison—up from the previous one-to-five-year range. Additionally, individuals found guilty of promoting or financing such relationships face three to seven years behind bars.

Sonko dismissed calls for a moratorium on the law’s implementation, including appeals from a group of thirty prominent African figures in a recent guest editorial published in a French newspaper.

Before assuming office as Prime Minister in 2024, Sonko had pledged to criminalize same-sex relations by reclassifying the offense from a minor misdemeanor to a felony.