Senegal government seeks harsher anti-LGBT law

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has submitted a draft law to parliament that would significantly increase penalties for same-sex relations, deepening concerns among human rights and LGBT advocates in the West African nation and abroad.

The bill, approved by cabinet last week and formally sent to the National Assembly on Tuesday, would double the current maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to 10 years. Same-sex conduct is already criminalised under Senegalese law, as the BBC reports.

Addressing lawmakers, Sonko said the proposed legislation targets what it terms “acts against nature,” setting prison terms between five and 10 years, up from the existing range of one to five years. “If an act is committed with a minor, it will attract the maximum penalty,” he said.

The draft law explicitly defines any sexual conduct between two people of the same sex as an “act against nature.” It also introduces new offences, including prison terms of three to seven years for any person deemed to be promoting or advocating same-sex relations, as well as provisions penalising those who accuse others of homosexuality “without proof.”

Those convicted under the bill could face fines of up to 10 million CFA francs (about $18,000; £13,000), in addition to prison sentences. Sonko indicated that the offence would remain a misdemeanour under Senegalese law. “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 initiative comes amid a recent surge in arrests under existing anti-LGBT provisions. Earlier this month, police detained 12 men, including two public figures and a well-known journalist, under those laws. Local media report that roughly 30 people have been arrested so far this month in connection with alleged same-sex relationships.

Debate over LGBT rights has long been contentious in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim and socially conservative country. Some political and religious groups frame LGBT advocacy as foreign interference, and religious organisations have organised large public demonstrations in recent years calling for tighter laws and harsher penalties.

Sonko, a former opposition figure who became prime minister in 2024, had previously pledged to intensify criminalisation of same-sex relations.

Human rights organisations have condemned both the crackdown and the proposed legislation. Human Rights Watch has said the recent wave of arrests and the move to expand penalties violate multiple internationally protected rights, including equality before the law and freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Advocates warn that such laws encourage stigma, harassment, and violence against LGBT people, and urge Senegal to instead move toward decriminalisation and legal protections in line with international human rights standards.

No date has yet been set for a parliamentary vote on the bill. The National Assembly is dominated by Sonko’s Pastef party, giving the proposal a strong chance of passage unless there is significant internal dissent or public pressure.

Senegal’s move comes as several African states have adopted or strengthened anti-LGBT legislation. In September 2024, Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament passed a bill banning homosexual acts, following a similar step by neighbouring Mali earlier that year. In 2023, Uganda enacted one of the world’s most punitive anti-LGBT laws, including the possibility of the death penalty for certain consensual same-sex acts.

Rights groups continue to call on Senegal and other governments in the region to halt regression on LGBT rights and align national laws with international human rights commitments that protect all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.