Dakar, Senegal — Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed into law sweeping legislation that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relations, intensifying a growing crackdown on the country’s LGBTQ community.
The new law, signed on Monday and published in the official journal on Tuesday, raises the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five years to 10 years, while maintaining a minimum sentence of five years. The legislation, which passed with overwhelming support in the National Assembly earlier this month, marks one of the strictest legal frameworks against LGBTQ individuals in West Africa.
Under the revised code, individuals found guilty of engaging in what authorities describe as “acts against nature” — a term commonly used to criminalize same-sex relations — now face five to 10 years in prison, alongside significantly increased fines ranging from 2 million to 10 million CFA francs (approximately $3,500 to $17,600). Previously, fines ranged from 100,000 to 1.5 million CFA francs.
The law also introduces new criminal provisions targeting those accused of “promoting or financing” same-sex relationships, with penalties of three to seven years’ imprisonment. In cases involving minors, courts are mandated to impose the maximum sentence.
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Despite tightening penalties, the offence remains legally classified as a misdemeanour, a point of note given earlier political promises to elevate it to a more serious criminal category.
The legislation was approved on March 11 by a decisive parliamentary vote of 135 in favour, none against, and three abstentions, reflecting broad political and societal backing. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, a key political figure who previously vowed to criminalize same-sex relations more severely, presented the bill to lawmakers.
In recent months, enforcement has already intensified. Media reports indicate that dozens of men have been arrested since February, including a group of 12 individuals — among them two local celebrities. Arrests are often reportedly based on accusations and phone searches, with detainees’ identities frequently made public.
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The law also includes a provision penalizing individuals who falsely accuse others of same-sex offences without proof, in what authorities say is an effort to curb misuse of the legislation.
However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights bodies. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the law as “deeply worrying”, warning that it “flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights.”
Global LGBTQ advocacy group ILGA World had earlier urged President Faye not to sign the bill, calling on Senegalese authorities to uphold “respect for individual liberty and the human person.”
The law comes amid heightened debate over LGBTQ rights in Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation where such issues remain highly sensitive. Religious organizations have staged demonstrations in recent years demanding stricter enforcement and harsher penalties, often framing LGBTQ advocacy as an imposition of Western values.
With the new law now in effect, rights groups warn that arrests and prosecutions could increase further, raising concerns about privacy, due process, and the broader human rights climate in the country.
