Senegal Moves to Toughen Anti-LGBTQ Laws With 10-Year Jail Terms

Senegal’s parliament has approved a bill that would significantly increase punishment for same-sex relations and outlaw activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights.

The National Assembly passed the proposal on Wednesday with overwhelming support. Lawmakers voted 135 in favour of the bill, while three abstained. The legislation will now be forwarded to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who must sign it before it becomes law.

If approved, the measure will double the maximum prison sentence for same-sex sexual relations from five years to ten years. It will also introduce heavier fines of up to 10 million CFA francs.

Same-sex relations are already illegal in Senegal under Article 319 of the penal code. The law, which dates back decades and was last amended in 1966, punishes what it calls “acts against nature” with prison terms of up to five years and monetary penalties.

The new bill expands the scope of that provision. It specifically links the term “acts against nature” to homosexuality, bisexuality and transgender identity. It also targets individuals accused of promoting, financing or supporting LGBTQ-related activities.

Under the proposed law, judges would have less flexibility when sentencing those convicted. Courts would not be allowed to suspend sentences or reduce prison terms below the minimum set by the law.

Support for the bill has been strong among many political and religious leaders in the West African nation, where opposition to homosexuality remains widespread.

Imam Babacar Sylla, a leader of the And Samm Jikko Yi network of Islamic and civil society organisations, called on the president to quickly sign the bill into law.

“The longer it takes, the more complicated it will be,” Sylla said. “And these people, whom I consider a public danger, will continue to escape.”

In recent weeks, groups backing the legislation organised demonstrations in the capital, Dakar. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans rejecting homosexuality.

Human rights groups say the debate has coincided with a rise in arrests linked to alleged same-sex relations. According to the International Federation for Human Rights, at least 27 men were detained between February 9 and February 24 on suspicion of committing “acts against nature.”

Senegal’s move reflects a wider trend across parts of West Africa where governments are considering or adopting tougher laws targeting same-sex relations. In neighbouring Burkina Faso, lawmakers last year criminalised such relations for the first time with prison terms of up to five years. Ghana is also debating legislation that would increase penalties and criminalise the promotion of LGBTQ activities.