Senegalese Prime Minister Proposes Tougher Penalties for Same-Sex Relations

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday unveiled legislation to double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations . People are regularly arrested on such charges in traditionalist, Muslim-majority Senegal , where they currently face a prison sentence of up to five years. How might Senegal change its law on same-sex relations? "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, Sonko told parliament. "Anyone who commits an unnatural act will be punished by five to ten years' imprisonment," compared with one to five years currently, Sonko said in a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, referring to the proposed bill. The legislation would have to be submitted to a vote by lawmakers, although no date has yet been set. The issue has come to the fore in recent weeks by a series of arrests of people — including celebrities — for alleged same-sex acts. Senegal students feel betrayed, fear for future To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 03:58 What did Sonko say about the law change proposal? State-owned daily newspaper Le Soleil cited Sonko, who has been in power since 2024 , as saying that the the offense would remain a mid-level one rather than a felony. The bill relates to both same-sex relations and child sex abuse, which are often conflated by the Senegalese media. "If the act is committed with a minor, the maximum sentence will be imposed," Sonko told lawmakers. He said the bill changed 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." In recent years, religious associations have staged demonstrations to demand tougher penalties. Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah