Dakar – Senegal’s National Assembly is scheduled on Wednesday to debate legislation that would double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making them punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
A vote is generally held the same day as debate.
Late last month Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko unveiled the legislation, which centres on what is an extremely hot-button issue for the Muslim-majority and deeply religious nation.
Earlier in February, a dozen men were arrested, including two local celebrities, accused of “acts against nature” — a term used to describe same-sex relations.
🇸🇳🏳️🌈 | El primer ministro de Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, presentó un proyecto de ley ante la Asamblea Nacional para endurecer las penas contra la homosexualidad, elevando las condenas por prácticas homosexuales de cinco a diez años de prisión, como parte de una ofensiva más amplia… pic.twitter.com/5UurOXq9pi
— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) February 25, 2026
That spurred a wave of arrests reported almost daily — at least 30 people according to local press, based on accusations and phone searches, with the names of those detained made public.
Some of those detained have faced accusations of deliberately transmitting HIV, fuelling further fierce debate about same-sex relations.
In addition to doubling prison terms for those found guilty of same-sex relations, Sonko’s bill would also punish those who advocate for LGBTQ people with prison sentences of three to seven years.
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Source: AFP
