A new law on same-sex relations in Senegal has drawn global attention after the Prime Minister defended it and accused the West of cultural interference.
Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, made the comments while addressing the National Assembly on Friday, where he backed recently introduced legislation tightening penalties for same-sex relationships. He argued that Western countries exert disproportionate influence through economic power and media control, which he said is used to pressure other nations into adopting foreign social values.
The new law, which took effect in late March, increases the prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to 10 years. It also criminalises the financing, promotion, or support of same-sex relationships and what authorities describe as the “glorification of unnatural acts.”
Human rights organisations have criticised the legislation, warning it could deepen discrimination and increase risks of arrest, abuse, and social exclusion for LGBTQ individuals.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker TĂĽrk, had earlier urged Senegal not to proceed with the law, warning it could undermine fundamental freedoms and worsen human rights conditions. He said the legislation could expose individuals to hate crimes, arbitrary detention, blackmail, and discrimination in areas such as education, healthcare, employment, and housing.
Reports indicate a rise in arrests linked to same-sex relationships in Senegal, including the detention of 12 men in Dakar in February over alleged “acts against nature.”
