On Monday (March 30, 2026), Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed into law a bill doubling the penalties for homosexuality. “Unnatural acts”—as they are termed in Senegal—will now be punishable by five to ten years in prison, along with a fine ranging from two to ten million CFA francs. The maximum penalty will be imposed if the homosexual act was committed with a minor. The legislation also provides for criminal sanctions regarding the promotion and financing of homosexuality in Senegal, while simultaneously aiming to combat malicious or bad-faith denunciations.
A predominantly Muslim and deeply religious nation, Senegal has witnessed dozens of arrests of individuals suspected of being homosexual in recent weeks, alongside a surge in online attacks.
A Law That “Flouts” Human Rights
Several organizations had, however, urged the Senegalese Head of State not to enact the text, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority by the Senegalese Parliament in mid-March. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, had denounced the measure as a law that “flouts” human rights.
The United Nations agency dedicated to the fight against AIDS had expressed concern regarding the potential consequences for “public health in the country” and had called upon the President not to promulgate this legislation. Although some human rights organizations have criticized this tightening of the law, international reactions have been fewer in number than those seen following the passage of similar laws in other African countries in recent years.
For several years, highly influential religious associations have been calling for the “criminalization” of homosexuality. Under this new law, the legal classification of same-sex relations remains unchanged—it is still considered a “misdemeanor”—which is sufficient to “achieve what we want, and even more,” according to Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. However, given that he had initially pledged during his election campaigns to elevate the offense to the level of a “crime,” opposition figures and activists have criticized him for failing to keep his word.
Alice Bordaçarre, head of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Desk at the FIDH, expressed deep disappointment and concern following the promulgation of the law.
Alice Bordaçarre: For many years now, Senegal has been committed to fighting against discrimination—specifically discrimination against homosexual people. We are, therefore, deeply disappointed that the Senegalese President has decided to flout the country’s international commitments and disregard the treaties and conventions it has duly ratified.
We are extremely concerned—and as the current situation demonstrates—that there is a great deal of violence and discrimination directed against homosexual people within the country. This is not a new phenomenon, although we are certainly seeing things take a turn for the worse. Consequently, this new law—which doubles prison sentences, imposes heavier fines, and, for the first time, poses a direct threat to associations that advocate for the rights of homosexual people—is particularly alarming.
It is profoundly worrying. Public opinion often characterizes homosexuality as an “imported” concept—referring to an “LGBT agenda” or something being “imposed” by the West. However, if one examines the history and sociology of Senegal, it becomes clear that the country was historically much more tolerant regarding these issues. The country’s stance only began to harden—and discrimination against homosexual people to emerge—in the post-colonial era.
This is particularly evident in the restrictions placed on the work of civil society organizations, specifically regarding what is perceived as the “promotion of homosexuality.” We have absolutely no idea what the government means by “the promotion of homosexuality.” Does advocating for the rights of all people—upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms—fall into this category? If so, it implies that one can no longer speak freely in Senegal, nor advocate for the defense of human rights or the universality of those rights. In essence, this amounts to muzzling civil society and those associations whose sole purpose is to defend every individual’s right to dignity and respect.
DW: But why are homosexual people viewed so unfavorably in Senegal—or, more broadly, across various African nations? Alice Bordaçarre: There are several studies on this subject, though many are in English. That is why we published an analytical article in French, which highlights the colonial legacy of LGBT-phobias—and, in particular, of homophobia. Depending on the specific countries involved, this legacy is more evident in nations that were colonized by the United Kingdom; this is because a specific provision was introduced into the Indian Penal Code—a measure subsequently replicated throughout the Commonwealth—known as the “Sodomy laws,” which criminalized male homosexuality and consensual same-sex relations.
For countries colonized by France, the situation is somewhat different, as there was no prohibition against homosexuality within the French Penal Code at the time. However, colonial administrators—often acting with excessive zeal—frequently imposed their own binary worldview upon the colonized states. Consequently, particularly in Senegal, homophobia is widely regarded as a colonial legacy—not exclusively so, but at least in part.
Planète Queer 