The parliament in Senegal has decided to tighten criminal laws against homosexual relationships.
03/12/2026, 01:4403/12/2026, 01:44
On Wednesday evening, the National Assembly passed a government bill with 135 votes in favor and three abstentions that provides for significantly longer prison sentences and higher fines for so-called “unnatural acts”. Same-sex sexual relationships will in future face five to ten years in prison instead of the current one to five years.
The Senegalese parliament is clearly in favor of tightening the laws.Image: keystone
The “promotion” or financing of such actions, for example through organizations or the media, can also be punished in the West African coastal state in the future. Critics warn that this could harm civil society organizations or HIV prevention programs for at-risk groups. The law still needs to be signed by the president.
Cases fuel debate about homosexuality
Homosexuality and bisexuality are highly taboo in predominantly Muslim Senegal. In surveys, more than 90 percent of respondents repeatedly speak out against same-sex relationships.
The issue has recently become more publically explosive due to several investigations. At the beginning of February, security forces arrested a dozen men, some of them prominent, for alleged homosexual relationships. Shortly afterwards, the police reported the dismantling of an international child abuse network in Dakar. In parts of the public and on social media, the two cases were often confused.
Criminalization of homosexuality is particularly widespread in Africa
The West African coastal state with a population of around 18 million is considered one of the most stable democracies on the continent. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko came to power with a large majority two years ago and promised a new political beginning with economic reforms. Meanwhile, pressure on the government is growing, including because of high national debt and student protests in which one student died.
Around 65 countries worldwide criminalize same-sex relationships, more than half of which are in Africa. In many African countries, recognition of the rights of gay, bisexual and other queer people (LGBTQ+) is portrayed as a harmful import from the West. However, the relevant criminal laws often date back to the colonial period. (sda/dpa)