Senegal Pushes Bill to Toughen Penalties for Same-Sex Relations
Last update: February 19, 2026
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Legislation moves to National Assembly amid recent high-profile arrests.
Senegal’s ministers have approved a bill to toughen penalties for same-sex relations and child sex abuse, which will next be considered by the National Assembly following multiple arrests in separate cases.
CBI News reports that this month, police arrested 17 men, including two local celebrities and a well-known journalist, under the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws, prompting condemnation from human rights groups.
In a separate case, authorities dismantled a paedophile network operating between Senegal and France, arresting 14 people.
Media coverage over the past 10 days often conflated the same-sex relations arrests with the paedophilia investigation.
The cabinet said the bill, adopted late Wednesday, amends the penal code to clarify the definition of unnatural acts and increase penalties.
Currently, indecent assault against children under 13 carries a prison term of two to five years, while “unnatural acts with a person of the same sex” is punishable by one to five years.
Authorities did not specify how much the sentences would rise under the new law.
LGBTQ issues remain highly controversial in Senegal, with pro-LGBTQ advocacy frequently criticised as a foreign influence.
