Lawmakers in Senegal have approved a new bill that doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex sexual acts and criminalises the promotion of homosexuality, marking a significant tightening of the country’s existing laws.
The legislation was endorsed with 135 votes in favour, none against, and three abstentions, completing the final step required for its adoption.
The bill was a campaign pledge of the government that came to power in 2024 under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
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Senegal’s penal code had already criminalised same-sex relations under a provision last amended in 1966, which imposed prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to 1.5 million CFA francs (about $2,676) for what it described as “acts against nature.”
Supporters of the new bill argued that the earlier provision was too vague and insufficiently strict.
Under the updated law, “acts against nature” could now attract up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 10 million CFA francs (around $17,700).
The legislation also bars judges from granting suspended sentences or reducing penalties below the prescribed minimum.
The new text further defines such acts as including homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, zoophilia, and necrophilia. It also criminalises the promotion, financing, or support of such activities, with offenders facing potential prison terms.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, supporters of the legislation, including lawmakers from the ruling PASTEF, organised several demonstrations in the capital, Dakar, where participants voiced opposition to homosexuality and carried signs with crossed-out rainbow symbols.
The period has also seen a rise in arrests of men suspected of committing “acts against nature,” as well as charges of “voluntary transmission” of HIV, which can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years.
According to the International Federation for Human Rights, 27 men were arrested between February 9 and February 24.
The move reflects a broader trend across parts of West Africa.
In 2024, Burkina Faso passed a law criminalising same-sex relations for the first time, with penalties of up to five years in prison.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Ghana are considering legislation that would increase the maximum penalty for same-sex sexual acts from three to five years and introduce jail terms for the promotion or support of LGBTQ+ activities.