Senegal’s National Assembly has passed a bill doubling the maximum jail term for same-s3x sexual acts to 10 years, while also criminalizing promotion or financing of such acts. The vote was 135 in favor, none against, with three abstentions, and the law now awaits President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s signature.
Under the new law, judges cannot suspend sentences or reduce terms below the minimum. Fines also increase from 1.5 million CFA francs to 10 million CFA francs, and the law explicitly covers homosexuality, bisexuality, “transs3xuality,” zoophilia, and necrophilia.
Supporters of the bill, including lawmakers from the ruling Pastef party, staged demonstrations in Dakar prior to the vote, calling for strict enforcement and warning against the “promotion” of LGBTQ+ activities. Arrests of men suspected of “acts against nature” have already risen in recent weeks.
Similar moves have occurred in neighboring countries. Last year, Burkina Faso criminalized same-s3x sexual relations with up to five years in prison, and Ghana is considering raising penalties while targeting promotion or support of LGBTQ+ activities.
