Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko of Senegal has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the newly toughened penalties for same-sex relations.

The announcement came during a parliamentary session where deputies questioned the government on recent legislative changes.

The strengthened law has drawn criticism from Western nations, which have condemned Senegal’s move to increase penalties for what they term “unnatural acts.”

Sonko emphasized that Senegal remains a sovereign nation with the right to protect itself against practices incompatible with its cultural values.

“The Senegalese people are sovereign. The vast majority do not accept certain practices in our country,” Sonko stated.

Confronting Western pressure

Addressing criticism from some African elites, including Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, Sonko dismissed calls for a moratorium on enforcement.

“There is a kind of tyranny at play. With eight billion people worldwide, a small Western bloc—where the debate is not settled—uses its media dominance to impose its views on the rest of the world. On what grounds?” Sonko argued.

He firmly declared, “This law will be fully enforced. No moratorium will be considered.”

The National Assembly adopted Law No. 2026-08 on March 27, 2026, amending Article 319 of the 1965 Penal Code to broaden the definition of “unnatural acts” and increase penalties. The law now explicitly criminalizes same-sex relations, with additional provisions targeting advocacy and financial support for such acts.

According to the updated legislation, “Any sexual act or act of a sexual nature between two persons of the same sex constitutes an unnatural act.” The law also extends to sexual acts involving corpses or animals.

Violators face imprisonment ranging from five to ten years and fines between 2,000,000 and 10,000,000 West African CFA francs, with additional penalties for cases involving rape or pedophilia.