Senegal PM Defends Bill Doubling Same‑Sex Sentences, Adding Fines, Outlawing ‘Advocacy’

Overview

• Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko publicly backed the draft in the National Assembly after Cabinet approval, and the bill now awaits a vote with no date set.
• The proposal would raise the maximum prison term for same‑sex relations from five to up to ten years, apply the maximum when a person under 21 is involved, and allow fines of 2–10 million CFA francs.
• The text reported by media would criminalize what it calls advocacy of homosexuality with potential prison terms of three to seven years.
• Enforcement has intensified since early February, starting with elite police denouncing 12 men, including two local celebrities, followed by frequent detentions based on complaints and phone inspections.
• Senegal’s media regulator CORED urged outlets to respect dignity and privacy as names of detainees circulate, while rights groups warn of public‑health risks tied to HIV accusations and report rising requests for help to flee, including 18 logged by STOP Homophobie.