Senegal’s government has introduced legislation that would double the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations to 10 years, part of a sweeping crackdown that also targets advocacy and false accusations.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko sent the bill to parliament on Tuesday after cabinet approval last week, fulfilling a campaign pledge to criminalize same-sex relations more harshly in the Muslim-majority nation.
The proposal would increase penalties for what the law describes as “acts against nature” from the current one-to-five years to five-to-ten years in prison. Anyone convicted of promoting or advocating same-sex relations would face three to seven years and fines up to 10 million CFA (about $18,000).
“If an act is committed with a minor, it will attract the maximum penalty,” Sonko told lawmakers.
A Wave of Arrests
The legislation follows a sharp increase in enforcement against alleged same-sex relationships. Local media report around 30 people have been arrested this month alone, including 12 men detained earlier this February, among them two public figures and a prominent journalist.
Debate over LGBT rights has long generated tension in Senegal, a conservative country where some groups portray pro-LGBT activism as foreign interference. Religious organizations have held demonstrations in recent years calling for harsher punishments.
Sonko, a former firebrand opposition leader appointed prime minister in 2024, had pledged during his campaign to strengthen anti-LGBT laws. His Pastef party controls the National Assembly, making passage likely once a vote date is set.
The Bill’s Provisions
The draft law defines any sexual conduct between two people of the same sex as an “act against nature.” It keeps the offense at its current misdemeanor level — a point Sonko emphasized.
“We can achieve the intended objectives without going so far as to elevate the acts to the level of more serious crimes,” he said.
The bill also includes a provision punishing those who accuse others of homosexuality “without proof” — a measure ostensibly aimed at preventing false accusations, though rights advocates note it could further discourage reporting.
Regional Context
Senegal’s move follows a pattern across West and East Africa of hardening attitudes and laws toward LGBT communities.
In September 2024, Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament approved a bill banning homosexual acts. Its neighbor Mali, adopted similar legislation earlier that year. In 2023, Uganda enacted some of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality laws, including the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
Human Rights Watch condemned Senegal’s recent anti-LGBT crackdown as a violation of “multiple internationally protected rights,” including equality and nondiscrimination.
What Comes Next
A date has not been set for a parliamentary vote, but with Sonko’s party in control, the bill is expected to pass.
For Senegal’s LGBT community, the legislation represents an existential threat. The current law already drives people underground; longer sentences and new provisions against advocacy would make visibility — and survival — even harder.
For Sonko, the bill delivers on a promise to his base. In a nation where polls show overwhelming opposition to LGBT rights, the political calculation is simple. The human cost, advocates say, is incalculable.
