Senegal’s parliament has passed legislation that doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations to 10 years and criminalises the “promotion” of homosexuality. The bill received overwhelming support, with 135 MPs voting in favour, none against, and three abstentions. It now awaits the president’s signature to become law. The measure, a campaign pledge of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, was introduced following a series of arrests linked to alleged same-sex relationships, which are already prohibited under Senegalese law.
Government spokesperson Amadou Moustapha Ndieck Sarré rejected international criticism of the bill, insisting it reflects national sentiment. “The majority of Senegalese do not accept homosexuality. Our culture rejects it, and we are firmly opposed to it,” he stated. Some conservative activists in Senegal have long demanded harsher penalties.
The movement And Sàmm Jikko Yi, which campaigns to defend what it calls Senegalese moral values, has repeatedly urged authorities to adopt stricter legislation criminalising homosexual acts. Its leaders argue the law is necessary to protect Senegalese cultural and religious norms. However, rights groups warn the move could worsen discrimination and violence against sexual minorities. Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué said the proposed changes were worrying.
“Criminalising same-sex conduct and arresting people for their sexual orientation violates multiple internationally protected rights, including equality and non-discrimination.” She added that such measures risked exposing people who were already stigmatised to “violence and fear.”
Alioune Tine, founder of the think-tank Afrikajom Center, told the BBC that the current climate could worsen social tensions. “If it is true that social concerns must be addressed, [the law] also has to respect human rights and protect public-health policies.” Others have pointed out that same-sex relationships are a part of life and cannot be abolished by a law.
“Most of the same-sex relationships were hidden anyway. There are even people who are married in the society and who are still entertaining a safe-sex relationship because of the norm and the cultural norm in that society,” Senegal LGBTQ Association head and medical doctor Charles Dotou told BBC Newsday.
Dr. Dotou cautioned that the legislation would likely drive people into hiding, heighten fear, and disrupt normal life within affected communities. “It will create more fear, people will be scared to live normally, and there will be an exodus of those already exposed, leading to social instability,” he explained. The tightening of Senegal’s law comes in the wake of arrests last month involving alleged same-sex relationships. Police detained 12 men, including two public figures and a well-known journalist.
Supporters of the harsher measures have raised concerns about HIV transmission, though scientific consensus has long established that the illness can be contracted and spread by individuals of any sexual orientation. Experts warn that further criminalising same-sex relations could vilify gay people living with HIV to the point that they shy away from receiving the vital medical care they need.
Senegal has been praised for its efforts to control HIV. Between 42,000 and 44,000 people are living with the virus in the country, with a national prevalence of about 0.3% among adults, one of the lowest rates in West Africa, according to the health ministry. At the Fann University Hospital in Dakar, the executive secretary of the National Council for the Fight Against Aids (CNLS) – the body that has coordinated the country’s HIV response for decades – is worried about the situation with LGBTQ+ people.
“We have managed to control the HIV epidemic and we are moving towards eliminating Aids as a public health problem in Senegal,” Dr Safiétou Thiam told BBC News Afrique. “But what is happening now risks undermining the results of 30 to 35 years of efforts in the fight against the disease.”
Ousmane Sonko, the longtime firebrand opposition leader appointed prime minister in 2024, had told lawmakers the bill would punish what it describes as “acts against nature” with fines of up to 10,000,000 CFA francs ($17,600; £13,000) and prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, compared with the current one- to five-year terms in the Muslim-majority country.
Several other African countries have also introduced tough new laws against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. In September last year, Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament approved a bill banning homosexual acts, following its neighbour, Mali in 2024. In 2023, Uganda voted in some of the world’s harshest anti-homosexual legislation, meaning that people engaging in same-sex relationships can be sentenced to death in certain circumstances. Ghana is also planning to reintroduce an anti-homosexual bill that activists say threatens basic human rights, safety and freedom.
Source: Winifred Lartey
