Polémique en France : Pascal Boniface s’explique sur son dialogue avec Sonko malgré les appels au boycott
On April 9th, the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar will host a high-level conference bringing together the Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, and the French geopolitician, Pascal Boniface. Entitled "Autonomy, Patriotism, and the Multipolar World," the event aims to explore the future of Africa and the global shifts in power.
For Pascal Boniface, this will be an opportunity to present his latest book, *Les Maîtres du Monde* (Masters of the World), while for Ousmane Sonko, this platform is ideal for reaffirming the Senegalese government's sovereignist vision on the international stage. However, beyond the diplomatic considerations, the meeting is also overshadowed by pressing legislative issues.
A controversy arising from stricter legislation
The announcement of this meeting has not been without controversy. Pascal Boniface recently revealed that he had been strongly questioned about the appropriateness of this trip. At the heart of the controversy is the tightening of Senegalese legislation against homosexuality.
In March 2026, Parliament passed a law doubling the penalties for "acts against nature," increasing them to between 5 and 10 years' imprisonment. This reform, promulgated at the end of March by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, also includes severe penalties for advocating such acts. For some observers and human rights organizations, the presence of the French researcher could be perceived as moral endorsement of a regime deemed repressive.
Choosing dialogue in the face of calls for a boycott
Faced with criticism, Pascal Boniface chose to maintain his attendance, justifying his position by the need to preserve channels of discussion. For the geopolitician, debating global issues and national sovereignty does not equate to endorsing all of the host country's social policies.
He emphasizes the importance of analyzing real geopolitical shifts, which sometimes include identity or cultural assertions that break with Western standards. According to him, understanding local dynamics is essential to grasping the evolution of today's multipolar world.
A major test at the Museum of Black Civilizations
This conference promises to be a major political and intellectual test. It will have to navigate between the ambition of a strong pan-Africanist discourse and the realities of a social climate marked by increased pressure on certain minorities.
Beyond defense and economic issues, the question of the compatibility between cultural sovereignty and universal rights is likely to arise, directly or implicitly, in the amphitheater. The world will be watching Dakar closely to see how these two worldviews clash or harmonize.
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