Sawt Falasteen - Senegal PM vows to double penalty for same-sex relations

Ministers passed the bill to the National Assembly after approving it last week, following multiple arrests of people accused of same-sex relations, which are already a crime under Senegalese law.

"Anyone committing an act against nature will be punished by five to 10 years' imprisonment," compared with one to five years under the current law, premier Ousmane Sonko told parliament on Tuesday.

Police this month said they arrested 12 men, including two local celebrities and a well-known journalist, under anti-LGBTQ laws. Media have reported 30 people arrested since.

Sonko said the bill modified the penal code to stipulate that "any sexual act or act of a sexual nature between two people of the same sex constitutes an act against nature."

The law would also penalise anyone who accuses another of same-sex offences "without proof".

Social media have been flooded in recent weeks with homophobic messages and calls to out individuals accused of same-sex activity.

The bill also provides for three to seven years in prison for "anyone who engages in advocacy" for same-sex relations, Sonko added.

- Human rights concerns -

In recent years, LGBTQ issues have stirred controversy in Senegal, where pro-LGBTQ advocacy is frequently denounced as a tool used by Westerners to impose foreign values.

Religious associations have staged demonstrations in recent years to demand tougher penalties.

Before becoming prime minister in 2024, Sonko had promised to make same-sex relations a crime, but was accused by activists and the opposition of failing to follow through on the promise.

Global campaign group Human Rights Watch warned in a statement last week that the arrests under "have intensified concerns over the country's criminalisation of same-sex relations and the safety of people living with HIV and/or AIDS".

"The Senegalese government should act on its obligations to respect and protect... people's rights" under international charters "by releasing those arrested and repealing discriminatory and homophobic laws," it said.

Senegalese media have run stories in recent days on same-sex relations, often conflating them with a separate child sex abuse affair.

In that case, investigators dismantled a gang accused of sexual violence against minors, arresting 14 people.

The bill presented in parliament relates to both same-sex relations and child sex abuse.

"If the act is committed with a minor, the maximum sentence will be imposed," Sonko told lawmakers.

The date for a vote in parliament has yet to be announced.

D.Khalil--SF-PST