From Dakar, our correspondent reports

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has made it clear: there will be no moratorium on enforcing laws against homosexuality. In a firm stance, he vowed to curb what he termed the “proliferation” of same-sex relations and pledged that justice would pursue all cases to their conclusion. “No big fish will escape,” Sonko declared, following recent arrests of several individuals close to the Prime Minister on suspicion of homosexuality.

His uncompromising position comes as over a hundred people have been detained in the past three months under accusations of unnatural acts—some facing additional charges for alleged intentional HIV transmission. Meanwhile, a group of African intellectuals published an op-ed on May 18 calling for a moratorium on the enforcement of these laws.

“We need no lessons from anyone”

“We need no lessons from anyone” regarding this issue, Sonko reiterated, condemning what he described as “a tyranny of the West” that seeks, through “media control,” to impose homosexuality on the rest of the world.

During his address, Sonko also addressed Senegal’s staggering public debt, which stands at 119% of GDP. While acknowledging the country’s “challenging economic situation,” he defended his administration’s recovery plan and highlighted increased tax revenue as a key financial boost.

Finance Minister Cheikh Diba sought to reassure the public, stating that “the debt situation is being addressed.” He also announced the resumption of talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in early June, with a goal to finalize “the broad outlines of a new program” by June 30. Negotiations had been stalled since October 2025 due to disagreements over whether Senegal’s debt required restructuring.