DAKAR, Senegal — In a decisive parliamentary move, Senegal has significantly escalated its legal stance against homosexuality through newly approved legislation that doubles prison terms and imposes substantial fines. The West African nation’s legislative body overwhelmingly endorsed the bill during Wednesday’s plenary session, with nearly unanimous support and only three abstentions.
The controversial legislation, introduced last month by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, reclassifies homosexual acts as ‘against nature’ and increases penalties from the previous one-to-five-year prison sentences to rigorous imprisonment ranging from five to ten years. The bill further criminalizes the ‘promotion’ or ‘financing’ of homosexuality, effectively targeting organizations that support sexual and gender minorities.
Financial penalties have been substantially heightened under the new framework, with fines reaching up to 10 million CFA francs (approximately $17,609). Notably, the legislation maintains homosexuality offenses as misdemeanors rather than felonies. During parliamentary debates, government ministers contended that the 1966 legislation previously governing such acts was insufficiently punitive.
The legal text groups homosexuality alongside necrophilia and bestiality under ‘acts against nature’ offenses while paradoxically penalizing unsubstantiated accusations of homosexual acts. The bill now awaits presidential assent from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is widely anticipated to enact it into law.
This development aligns Senegal with approximately thirty African nations that criminalize same-sex relations, including Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania where similar decade-long sentences prevail. In several African jurisdictions including Somalia, Uganda, and Mauritania, homosexuality can carry capital punishment.
The legislative action follows weeks of rallies organized by Islamic advocacy groups supporting the measure. Concurrently, Senegalese authorities have intensified crackdowns on alleged LGBTQ+ individuals, resulting in at least a dozen recent arrests. The legislation fulfills a campaign promise by Prime Minister Sonko, who had previously attempted to introduce similar measures while serving in opposition.