Senegalese MPs Pass Bill to Increase Jail Term for Same-Sex Acts

The legislation amends the country's penal code by doubling the maximum prison sentence from five years to 10 years, while also raising fines to up to 10 million CFA francs (approximately $17,600). It explicitly defines "acts against nature" to include homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, zoophilia, and necrophilia, and introduces new criminal offenses for promoting, financing, or advocating such acts. Judges are barred from suspending sentences or imposing terms below the minimum, marking a stricter approach than the existing law in place since 1966.

The bill passed with 135 votes in favor, zero against, and three abstentions, fulfilling a key campaign promise made by the ruling Pastef party under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who assumed power in 2024. Supporters, including religious and civil society groups, had rallied in Dakar with anti-homosexuality demonstrations in the lead-up to the vote. The measure now awaits President Faye's signature to become law, with figures like Imam Babacar Sylla of And Samm Jikko Yi urging swift enactment, describing homosexuality as a "public danger" and warning against delays.

This development aligns with a broader regional trend in West Africa toward harsher anti-LGBT legislation, as seen in Burkina Faso's 2025 law imposing up to five years for same-sex relations and ongoing debates in Ghana. In Senegal, the bill follows a recent surge in arrests—27 men detained between February 9 and 24, 2026, on related charges—amid growing crackdowns. Human rights organizations have condemned the move, warning it will heighten violence, fear, and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community while undermining principles of equality and non-discrimination.