Senegal / Ousmane Sonko on homosexuality: « Senegal will not allow this propaganda to be imposed by the west… »
During a meeting with students on Thursday, May 16, Ousmane Sonko, President of Pastef and Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, addressed the issue of homosexuality alongside Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French political group « Les Insoumis ». This exchange provided an opportunity for Sonko to clarify Senegal’s position on this sensitive issue.
« This issue of LGBT rights should be respected when it pertains to their own realities. Senegal is a secular country and maintains an equal distance from all… nothing and no one will challenge this centuries-old model », Ousmane Sonko stated. He emphasized that gender issues are not new in Senegalese societies and that people manage these issues according to their own socio-cultural realities. « They cannot be the prerogative of foreign countries. We cannot have the propaganda of homosexuality imposed on us », he added.
In concluding his remarks, Ousmane Sonko sent a message to the West : « I urge it to exercise restraint, respect, reciprocity, and tolerance. Senegal cannot accept any attempt to impose this propaganda on us. We also have a way of life to respect, just as we respect the way of life of others… ».
This exchange with students aimed to reinforce mutual understanding and respect between cultures, while affirming Senegal’s sovereignty in managing its own socio-cultural affairs.
