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Senegal doubles prison sentences for gay sex amid rising homophobia

by Timothy••14

Senegal’s parliament has unanimously approved a new law significantly strengthening penalties for same-sex relations, doubling prison sentences and criminalising advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights. The legislation, adopted on Wednesday 11 March by the National Assembly, now awaits the signature of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is widely expected to promulgate it.

The bill raises the prison term for same-sex relations from the current one to five years to five to ten years in prison, with the maximum sentence applied if the act involves a minor. It also introduces substantially higher fines ranging from two million to ten million CFA francs (roughly €3,000 to €15,000), compared with previous fines of between 100,000 and 1.5 million CFA francs.

A tougher law targeting ‘acts against nature’

The legislation reinforces and expands Senegal’s existing prohibition on homosexuality, contained in Article 319 of the country’s Penal Code, which already punishes what are described as ‘acts against nature’. The new law broadens the definition to criminalise “any sexual act or act of a sexual nature between two people of the same sex”.

It also introduces new offences beyond the acts themselves. Individuals accused of promoting, financing or advocating homosexuality could face prison sentences of three to seven years. At the same time, the law includes a provision penalising false accusations made in bad faith against individuals suspected of homosexuality.

The initiative was spearheaded by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who personally introduced the bill in February and presented it as a response to growing public concern. During parliamentary debates he described it as one of the first legislative projects he had championed since his political movement came to power in 2024.

The measure passed overwhelmingly, with 135 votes in favour and no opposition, although a small number of deputies abstained.

Wave of arrests and public hostility

The vote comes amid a sharp escalation in hostility toward LGBTQIA+ people in Senegal. In recent weeks social media platforms have been flooded with homophobic messages, while calls to publicly identify suspected homosexuals have circulated widely online.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, 27 men were arrested between 9 and 24 February on charges linked to homosexuality. Some suspects have also been accused of knowingly transmitting HIV, an offence that can carry prison sentences of up to ten years.

Several arrests earlier in February attracted intense media attention. Between 4 and 6 February, twelve men — including a singer and a journalist — were detained on suspicion of same-sex relations. Days later, another investigation led to the arrest of fourteen people suspected of belonging to a child abuse network, which allegedly targeted young boys and had connections abroad.

Although the two cases were unrelated, they became widely conflated in public debate and online commentary, fuelling a surge of hostility towards people accused of homosexuality.

Health specialists and researchers have warned that this confusion between homosexuality, paedophilia and HIV transmission risks undermining public understanding of HIV prevention and could worsen stigma surrounding the disease.

Demonstrations and political pressure

The legislative push was accompanied by street demonstrations in the capital, Dakar, where protesters chanted slogans such as “No to homosexuality!” and carried placards depicting crossed-out rainbow flags.

During parliamentary debates, one lawmaker declared to applause from colleagues that “homosexuals will no longer breathe in this country” and that they would no longer have freedom of expression.

Observers say the crackdown reflects both strong social attitudes and political calculation. Senegal is a predominantly Muslim country where homosexuality is widely regarded as deviant, and tougher laws have long been demanded by conservative religious organisations such as Jamra and And Samm Jikko Yi.

These groups gained influence during the rise of Sonko’s political movement, the Patriotes africains du Sénégal pour le travail, l’éthique et la fraternité (Pastef), which won the presidency in 2024 on a platform combining nationalism, social reform and criticism of Western influence.

For many supporters of the new legislation, resisting international pressure to recognise LGBTQIA+ rights has become a symbol of defending Senegalese cultural values. Activists backing the bill often frame homosexuality as an import from Western societies promoted by foreign governments and international organisations.

A politically charged issue

Critics argue that the government’s focus on homosexuality is partly a political strategy at a time of economic difficulty. Senegal is currently facing mounting fiscal pressures, with a budget deficit estimated at around 14% of GDP and public sector debt approaching 132% of GDP.

Some commentators believe the issue has been used to mobilise public opinion and demonstrate decisiveness in government. Opposition deputy Thierno Alassane Sall, who did not support the bill, described the move as “demagogic”, arguing that it capitalises on the atmosphere of public outrage following recent arrests.

Media commentator Baba Dieng warned that the debate has become increasingly extreme, with voices online proposing severe punishments for suspected homosexuals and making civil discussion of the issue nearly impossible.

Part of a broader African trend

Senegal’s decision reflects a broader pattern across parts of Africa. More than half of African countries criminalise same-sex relations, with penalties ranging from prison sentences to the death penalty in a handful of states, including Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia.

Several others impose long prison sentences of up to life imprisonment, including Kenya, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.

If signed into law by President Faye, Senegal’s new legislation will place the country among those with the harshest prison penalties for same-sex relations in West Africa, further intensifying an already hostile climate for LGBTQIA+ people.

LGBTQIA+ and travel

🇧🇪 Blogger, keen vexillologist, train conductor NMBS/SNCB, traveller, F1 follower, friend of Dorothy.

14 thoughts on “Senegal doubles prison sentences for gay sex amid rising homophobia”

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