Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko defended a new law that doubles prison terms for same‑sex relations and criminalises funding and the "glorification" of what it calls unnatural acts, accusing Western countries of trying to impose homosexuality. The legislation, effective late March, has drawn sharp criticism from the UN and rights groups, who warn it increases the risk of arrests, discrimination and abuse. Human Rights Watch has urged the release of detainees after arrests in Dakar, while the law fits a wider trend of tougher anti‑LGBTQ measures in parts of Africa.
Senegal PM Accuses West Of 'Homosexual Tyranny' As He Defends Tougher Anti‑LGBTQ Law
Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko [File: Abdou Karim Ndoye/Reuters] (Reuters)
Senegal's Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, sharply criticised Western countries on Friday, accusing them of trying to impose homosexuality on his country as he defended new, tougher legislation targeting same‑sex relations.
What Sonko Said
Speaking to the National Assembly, Sonko framed the law as resistance to external pressure. "There is a kind of tyranny. There are eight billion human beings in the world, but there is a small nucleus called the West which, because it has resources and controls the media, wants to impose it [homosexuality] on the rest of the world," he said.
Key Provisions Of The Law
The legislation, which took effect in late March, increases the maximum prison term for same‑sex sexual acts from five to 10 years. It also criminalises the financing of same‑sex relationships and outlaws what it terms the "glorification of unnatural acts," a provision that covers promotion of, or engagement in, homosexual acts.
International And Human Rights Response
"This law exposes people to hate crimes, abuse, arbitrary arrests, blackmail and widespread discrimination in education, health, employment and housing," said United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk, who urged President Bassirou Diomaye Faye not to enact the legislation, calling it "deeply worrying."
Human Rights Watch and other rights organisations have condemned the law as discriminatory and have urged Senegalese authorities to protect LGBTQ people and repeal punitive measures. After a February round of detentions, Human Rights Watch called for the release of those arrested.
Local Impact And Context
Observers say arrests of gay men have increased since the law was proposed and enacted. In February, 12 men were detained in Dakar on charges described by authorities as "acts against nature." Rights groups warn the legislation could worsen stigma, fuel harassment and curtail freedom of expression for activists, the media and civil society.
Global Snapshot
Globally, 65 countries still criminalise consensual same‑sex relations, with more than half of those nations located in Africa. The move in Senegal is part of a broader trend in parts of the continent toward tougher penalties and increased legal restrictions on LGBTQ people.
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