TL;DR

• Senegal PM Ousmane Sonko backs a law doubling prison terms for same-sex acts.
• Proposed penalties jump from 5 to 10 years plus heavy fines.
• Sonko blames Western influence for supporting LGBTQ rights.
• Rights advocates warn the law will fuel violence and fear.
• The move comes amid a broader West African surge in anti-LGBT crackdowns.

Senegal’s PM Pushes Brutal Anti-LGBT Law as Crackdown Intensifies

A New Low in West Africa’s War on Queer Lives

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has decided the best way to cement his political muscle is to swing hard at one of the country’s most vulnerable groups — LGBTQ people. In a fiery address to the national assembly, Sonko championed a draft law that would double the maximum prison sentence for same-sex acts, hiking it from five years to a shocking 10. And if that weren’t enough, hefty fines of up to 10 million CFA (nearly $18,000) would be slapped onto anyone convicted. For a country where queer people already live in fear, this is gasoline on a fire.

Sonko insisted the law would apply to all same-sex conduct and that the harshest possible punishment would target any act involving someone under 21. But the political theater didn’t stop there — Sonko launched into a tirade blaming Western nations for “promoting” LGBTQ rights and stirring up controversy at home. In his words, opposition leaders “run to their Western masters” and pretend Senegal is persecuting homosexuals, claiming they “don’t even believe what they are saying.” It’s a classic political move: blame outsiders, distract the public, and score points with conservatives while marginalized communities pay the price.

A Region Tightening the Screws

The draft law sailed through approval from Senegal’s council of ministers and now waits on the national assembly’s ratification — date pending, anxiety rising. Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué called the proposal deeply alarming, saying it would further expose an already stigmatized population to “violence and fear.” And fear is exactly what’s rippling through Senegal after elite police recently charged 12 men with “acts against nature” and, in a sensational twist, “deliberate HIV transmission.” Two local celebrities were among the accused — a detail the tabloids couldn’t resist — igniting yet another wave of moral panic.

Sonko’s push comes as other countries in the region take similarly extreme measures. Uganda’s police boast arrests under one of the world’s most severe anti-homosexuality laws, including two women detained for “openly kissing.” Across the region, governments are attempting to score political points by treating queer people as pawns — and the consequences are devastating.

Why This Matters for the LGBTQ Community

Let’s be crystal clear: this law isn’t about “protecting values.” It’s about consolidating power by criminalizing queerness and using LGBTQ bodies as political battlegrounds. The proposed legislation would not only put lives at risk through imprisonment and financial ruin — it also legitimizes social violence, encourages harassment, and drives LGBTQ people further underground.

For Senegalese queer folks, visibility becomes a liability. Seeking healthcare becomes risky. Reporting abuse becomes impossible. Simply existing becomes a potential crime.

This isn’t just a local issue — it’s part of a growing, troubling trend across Africa, where leaders weaponize anti-LGBT sentiment to distract from economic and political failures. The international community must pay attention, because silence equals complicity.