Senegal's Prime Minister introduces bill that would double prison terms for same-sex relations

On 25 February 2026, Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko sent to parliament a bill that would raise the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from the current five years to ten years. The bill was submitted to parliament one week after receiving cabinet approval, following a wave in which nearly 30 people were arrested under existing laws during the month of February. This move by the predominantly Muslim West African country sharply increases penalties for same-sex relations — which were already banned — and further worsens the legal situation for LGBTQI+ people.

The bill classifies same-sex relations as "acts against nature." This framing presents queer people's identities within a criminal framework and portrays them as an anomaly requiring correction. Such language turns private relationships into a subject of state control. Notably, the law criminalises not only private relations but also "promoting" or "advocating" for same-sex relations, with prison terms of three to seven years envisaged. This means that human rights advocacy, journalism, and public expression of a position — that is, queer people's visibility — can also be punished.

Senegal is a conservative country with a large Muslim majority. Same-sex relations were already banned there. Before being appointed prime minister in 2024, Sonko had pledged to criminalise same-sex relations. This bill is part of a broader regional trend across Africa: in 2024, Mali, and in 2025, Burkina Faso, introduced similar bans. In 2023, Uganda adopted one of the world's harshest anti-homosexuality laws, which includes provision for the death penalty. The international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch has stated that the recent crackdown in Senegal violates a number of internationally protected rights, including equality and the prohibition of discrimination.

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