Lawmakers in Senegal have adopted legislation increasing penalties for same-sex relations, with the National Assembly approving the measure on Wednesday, March 11.
The reform amends Article 19 of the penal code, raising prison sentences for homosexual acts from the current one to five years to five to ten years, while fines could rise sharply from 1.5 million CFA francs to as much as 10 million CFA francs. The law also broadens the definition of “unnatural acts” to explicitly include sexual relations between people of the same sex.
The legislation introduces two additional offences: the glorification and financing of homosexuality, both punishable by three to seven years in prison.
Debate around the bill attracted strong public interest, with the chamber packed during the vote on Wednesday, March 11. No legislator spoke in favour of decriminalising homosexuality or reducing penalties.
Supporters of the reform argue it fulfils a campaign commitment. Ismaël Wone of the ruling PASTEF said public pressure had mounted for the law to be revisited, describing homosexuality as incompatible with Senegalese social norms.
However, independent MP Thierno Alassane Sall criticised the move, arguing the debate distracts from pressing economic and social challenges facing the country.
The bill was adopted by a parliament dominated by PASTEF, which holds 109 of the 165 seats. It will take effect only after being signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Human rights organisations have already expressed concern that the legislation could intensify hostility toward sexual minorities. Writer and feminist Ndeye Fatou Kane warned that the climate around the issue has been deteriorating in recent years, raising fears of vigilantism and further social division.