©Unsplash
A law provides for 10-year prison sentences for same-sex relationships.
Senegal's National Assembly, with 135 votes in favor, none against and three abstentions, has just passed a bill to introduce penalties ranging from 5 to 10 years' imprisonment for what the law defines as 'unnatural acts', the expression used in the country's penal code to designate homosexual relations. The text must now be signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye before it officially comes into force.
The serious new measure also introduces criminal sanctions against those who promote or support same-sex relationships. Anyone found guilty of advocating or funding LGBTQ+ rights initiatives risks 3 to 7 years' imprisonment, and more severe financial penalties of between 2 and 10 million CFA francs (around 3,200 and 16,200 euros), significantly higher than before.
The maximum penalty may be applied when the act in question involves minors. The text also includes a provision punishing those who accuse someone of homosexual relations without proof, a measure introduced to counter unfounded denunciations.
In recent months, Senegal has seen a rise in tensions and repression against the LGBTQ+ community.
According to several media reports, since February, dozens of men have been arrested under the country's anti-homosexuality laws. In some cases, investigations are said to have been triggered by anonymous accusations or cell phone checks.
The names of those arrested are often made public, and some have also been accused of deliberately transmitting HIV, further fuelling debate and stigma.
In recent years, the issue of LGBTQ+ rights has given rise to heated controversy in this West African country where the majority of the population is Muslim (and where homosexual relations have been punishable by prison since 1966). Religious groups and conservative associations have repeatedly organized demonstrations to call for tougher penalties, arguing that the defense of LGBTQ+ rights is an attempt by the West to impose foreign values on Senegalese society.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, before taking office in 2024, had also promised to make homosexuality a more serious offence. The new law, however, formally maintains the current classification as a minor offense, a choice that has led some in the opposition to accuse the government of breaking its promises.
Senegal is not the only African country to criminalize same-sex relations. According to available data, at least 32 of the 54 African countries have laws prohibiting or punishing homosexuality.
In some states, penalties are particularly severe: the death penalty in countries such as Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia, and life imprisonment in others, including Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Sierra Leone.
(©GreenMe.it 2026 / Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction / Picture: ©Unsplash)