Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko speaks to journalists in 2021. Sylvain Cherkaoui/AP/File Senegal’s Parliament has approved a bill that increases punishments for homosexual acts in the Muslim-majority West African country. The measure makes Senegal the latest African country to toughen penalties against the LGBTQ+ community. The text was presented to Parliament last month by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and describes homosexual acts as “against nature”. The proposal doubles prison sentences for those convicted of this type of act: from a current range of one to five years to between five and ten years. Almost all parliamentarians voted in favor of the project during the plenary session on Wednesday (11). There were no votes against and three deputies abstained. To come into force, the measure still needs the sanction of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who, according to analysts, must approve the text. See the videos that are trending on g1 The project also foresees punishments for what it calls “promotion” or “financing” of homosexuality, in an attempt to restrict the activities of organizations that support sexual and gender minorities. Fines for this type of infraction were increased to up to 10 million CFA francs (around R$91,000). Even so, the proposal maintains the offense as a misdemeanor, and not as a more serious crime. During the debate in Parliament, ministers argued that the previous legislation, created in 1966, was too lenient. The new text classifies homosexuality along with necrophilia and bestiality in the category of “acts against nature”. At the same time, the proposal provides for punishment for anyone who accuses another person of homosexual acts “without proof”. Laws that criminalize same-sex relationships are common in Africa: more than 30 of the continent’s 54 countries punish this type of relationship. With the measure, Senegal joins countries such as Kenya, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, where sentences can reach 10 years or more in prison. In Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania, the crime can even lead to the death penalty. In recent weeks, groups that defend Islamic values have organized demonstrations in support of the new measure. At the same time, police stepped up raids against people suspected of being gay and arrested at least a dozen of them. The proposal fulfills a campaign promise from Prime Minister Sonko, who tried to present the project when he was still in opposition, but was unsuccessful.
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Senegalese Parliament approves project that increases punishment for LGBT people in the country
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