{"id":1857527,"date":"2026-03-31T17:36:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857527"},"modified":"2026-03-31T17:36:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:36:45","slug":"under-pressure-lgbtq-crackdown-in-ghana-and-senegal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857527","title":{"rendered":"Under pressure: LGBTQ+ crackdown in Ghana and Senegal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_6.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"sk6xmai\">\n<div class=\"content-area sa7l9jt s9mg977\">\n<section data-tracking-name=\"sharing-icons-inline\" class=\"c75t7t0 hh5424a in-line closed\">\n<div class=\"copy-button-wrapper closed\"><span class=\"svdcmki\">https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BSPQ<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"s4bcs45\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_800.webp 50w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_801.webp 129w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_802.webp 352w, https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_803.webp 575w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 575px)\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" \/><figcaption class=\"c1oedowi lofg86o m4xla6a s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">An LGBTQ rights group wrote to President Diomaye Faye asking him not to sign the bill into law<small class=\"copyright c19ed66t ihwmx5 idu7i8u lxmvniw icns9en rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">Image: Light Oriye Tamunotonye\/AFP<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal\/t-64329226\">Senegal<\/a>&#8216;s official journal on Tuesday showed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had formally signed into law <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-pm-proposes-doubling-jail-terms-for-same-sex-acts\/a-76104903\">new legislation on same-sex relations<\/a> that have proved\u00a0contentious abroad despite broad political support within the majority Muslim country&#8217;s parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several human rights groups had voiced concerns about the bill, including warning that it would dissuade people at risk from illnesses like HIV\/AIDS from seeking help.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk called the law &#8220;deeply worrying&#8221; and said it &#8220;flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76109850\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76109850_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Protesters holds placards as they take part on February 20, 2022, in a demonstration calling for strictier repressive measures against homosexuality at the Obelisk Square in Dakar.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Protesters sometimes rallied in favor of tougher laws during the previous legislative period, as here in 2022<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Seyllou\/AFP<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What does the new package of LGBTQ laws entail?\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The new bill implements a series of new laws and alterations to existing laws and penalties, including the following:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8216;Acts against nature,&#8217;\u00a0a term used to designate same-sex relations, will now be punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison, rather than 1 to 5 years as at present<\/li>\n<li>The same law also now carries vastly increased potential fines of 2-10 million Senegalese francs (roughly $3,500 to $17,600), compared to 100,000 to 1.5 million previously<\/li>\n<li>Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said the maximum penalties would apply if the sex was with a minor<\/li>\n<li>The law \u200bspecifies that &#8216;acts against nature&#8217;\u00a0relate to homosexuality, bisexuality, &#8216;transsexuality,&#8217;\u00a0zoophilia and necrophilia<\/li>\n<li>Despite the tougher penalties, the bill still classifies the offenses as &#8216;misdemeanors&#8217;\u00a0rather than crimes, contradicting one of Sonko&#8217;s election pledges<\/li>\n<li>Those found guilty of &#8216;promoting&#8217;\u00a0or funding same-sex relationships could also face jail time of between 3 and 7 years<\/li>\n<li>The bill also includes potential jail sentences of 3 to 7 years for people found to have leveled baseless allegations of same-sex relations against somebody<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Public attention to the legislative process was heightened in February, amid a string of arrests on suspicion of breaching the laws, including\u00a0the arrests of two local celebrities.<\/p>\n<p>This led to frequent and often salacious domestic reporting on the various allegations and searches. Some were also accused of &#8220;voluntary transmission of HIV,&#8221; which can also carry a 10-year jail term.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Parliament and prime minister voiced staunch support<\/h2>\n<p>The law championed by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-lawmakers-back-tougher-anti-lgbtq-law-with-up-to-10-years-in-prison\/a-76315569\">sailed through a parliamentary reading earlier in the month<\/a>. No lawmakers voted against the proposals, three abstained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Becuase of a first-past-the-post electoral system, Sonko&#8217;s left-wing populist PATSEF party dominates the Assembly, with 130 of 165 seats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed normal right\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded audio \u2014 Under pressure: LGBTQ+ crackdown in Ghana and Senegal\" class=\"headline\">Under pressure: LGBTQ+ crackdown in Ghana and Senegal<\/h2>\n<p><audio id=\"audio-76435827\" controls preload=\"none\" data-id=\"76435827\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74973921_605.webp\" data-duration=\"24:45\"><source src=\"https:\/\/radiodownloaddw-a.akamaihd.net\/Events\/dwelle\/dira\/mp3\/eng\/7764D1BD.mp3\" type=\"audio\/mp3\" \/><\/audio><\/div>\n<p>Dozens of countries in Africa have laws on the books prohibiting and punishing same-sex relations. In Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia it can carry the death penalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ rights group ILGA World had appealed to President Diomaye Faye not to sign off on the law, despite the parliamentary consensus. It called on him to uphold &#8220;respect for individual liberty and the human person.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UNAIDS, meanwhile, said it was &#8220;deeply concerned&#8221; by the bill, arguing that criminalization only &#8220;causes people to turn away from health services,&#8221; such as those for HIV sufferers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Alex Berry<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-tracking-skip=\"true\" data-tracking-name=\"rich-text\" class=\"c17j8gzx rc0m0op r1ebneao s198y7xq rich-text l1evdo4u blt0baw s16w0xvi rcjjkz7 w128axg5 b1fzgn0z\">\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal\/t-64329226\">Senegal<\/a>&#8216;s official journal on Tuesday showed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had formally signed into law <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-pm-proposes-doubling-jail-terms-for-same-sex-acts\/a-76104903\">new legislation on same-sex relations<\/a> that have proved\u00a0contentious abroad despite broad political support within the majority Muslim country&#8217;s parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several human rights groups had voiced concerns about the bill, including warning that it would dissuade people at risk from illnesses like HIV\/AIDS from seeking help.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk called the law &#8220;deeply worrying&#8221; and said it &#8220;flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"placeholder-image master_landscape big\"><img data-format=\"MASTER_LANDSCAPE\" data-id=\"76109850\" data-url=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76109850_${formatId}.jpg\" data-aspect-ratio=\"16\/9\" alt=\"Protesters holds placards as they take part on February 20, 2022, in a demonstration calling for strictier repressive measures against homosexuality at the Obelisk Square in Dakar.\"><figcaption class=\"img-caption\">Protesters sometimes rallied in favor of tougher laws during the previous legislative period, as here in 2022<small class=\"copyright\">Image: Seyllou\/AFP<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What does the new package of LGBTQ laws entail?\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The new bill implements a series of new laws and alterations to existing laws and penalties, including the following:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8216;Acts against nature,&#8217;\u00a0a term used to designate same-sex relations, will now be punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison, rather than 1 to 5 years as at present<\/li>\n<li>The same law also now carries vastly increased potential fines of 2-10 million Senegalese francs (roughly $3,500 to $17,600), compared to 100,000 to 1.5 million previously<\/li>\n<li>Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said the maximum penalties would apply if the sex was with a minor<\/li>\n<li>The law \u200bspecifies that &#8216;acts against nature&#8217;\u00a0relate to homosexuality, bisexuality, &#8216;transsexuality,&#8217;\u00a0zoophilia and necrophilia<\/li>\n<li>Despite the tougher penalties, the bill still classifies the offenses as &#8216;misdemeanors&#8217;\u00a0rather than crimes, contradicting one of Sonko&#8217;s election pledges<\/li>\n<li>Those found guilty of &#8216;promoting&#8217;\u00a0or funding same-sex relationships could also face jail time of between 3 and 7 years<\/li>\n<li>The bill also includes potential jail sentences of 3 to 7 years for people found to have leveled baseless allegations of same-sex relations against somebody<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Public attention to the legislative process was heightened in February, amid a string of arrests on suspicion of breaching the laws, including\u00a0the arrests of two local celebrities.<\/p>\n<p>This led to frequent and often salacious domestic reporting on the various allegations and searches. Some were also accused of &#8220;voluntary transmission of HIV,&#8221; which can also carry a 10-year jail term.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Parliament and prime minister voiced staunch support<\/h2>\n<p>The law championed by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-lawmakers-back-tougher-anti-lgbtq-law-with-up-to-10-years-in-prison\/a-76315569\">sailed through a parliamentary reading earlier in the month<\/a>. No lawmakers voted against the proposals, three abstained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Becuase of a first-past-the-post electoral system, Sonko&#8217;s left-wing populist PATSEF party dominates the Assembly, with 130 of 165 seats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"vjs-wrapper embed normal right\">\n<h2 aria-label=\"Embedded audio \u2014 Under pressure: LGBTQ+ crackdown in Ghana and Senegal\" class=\"headline\">Under pressure: LGBTQ+ crackdown in Ghana and Senegal<\/h2>\n<p><audio id=\"audio-76435827\" controls preload=\"none\" data-id=\"76435827\" data-posterurl=\"https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/74973921_605.webp\" data-duration=\"24:45\"><source src=\"https:\/\/radiodownloaddw-a.akamaihd.net\/Events\/dwelle\/dira\/mp3\/eng\/7764D1BD.mp3\" type=\"audio\/mp3\" \/><\/audio><\/div>\n<p>Dozens of countries in Africa have laws on the books prohibiting and punishing same-sex relations. In Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia it can carry the death penalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ rights group ILGA World had appealed to President Diomaye Faye not to sign off on the law, despite the parliamentary consensus. It called on him to uphold &#8220;respect for individual liberty and the human person.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UNAIDS, meanwhile, said it was &#8220;deeply concerned&#8221; by the bill, arguing that criminalization only &#8220;causes people to turn away from health services,&#8221; such as those for HIV sufferers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Alex Berry<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal\/t-64329226\">Senegal<\/a>&#8216;s official journal on Tuesday showed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had formally signed into law <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-pm-proposes-doubling-jail-terms-for-same-sex-acts\/a-76104903\">new legislation on same-sex relations<\/a> that have proved\u00a0contentious abroad despite broad political support within the majority Muslim country&#8217;s parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several human rights groups had voiced concerns about the bill, including warning that it would dissuade people at risk from illnesses like HIV\/AIDS from seeking help.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk called the law &#8220;deeply worrying&#8221; and said it &#8220;flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The new bill implements a series of new laws and alterations to existing laws and penalties, including the following:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Public attention to the legislative process was heightened in February, amid a string of arrests on suspicion of breaching the laws, including\u00a0the arrests of two local celebrities.<\/p>\n<p>This led to frequent and often salacious domestic reporting on the various allegations and searches. Some were also accused of &#8220;voluntary transmission of HIV,&#8221; which can also carry a 10-year jail term.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The law championed by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko <a class=\"internal-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-lawmakers-back-tougher-anti-lgbtq-law-with-up-to-10-years-in-prison\/a-76315569\">sailed through a parliamentary reading earlier in the month<\/a>. No lawmakers voted against the proposals, three abstained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Becuase of a first-past-the-post electoral system, Sonko&#8217;s left-wing populist PATSEF party dominates the Assembly, with 130 of 165 seats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">supports HTML5 audio<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dozens of countries in Africa have laws on the books prohibiting and punishing same-sex relations. In Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia it can carry the death penalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ rights group ILGA World had appealed to President Diomaye Faye not to sign off on the law, despite the parliamentary consensus. It called on him to uphold &#8220;respect for individual liberty and the human person.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>UNAIDS, meanwhile, said it was &#8220;deeply concerned&#8221; by the bill, arguing that criminalization only &#8220;causes people to turn away from health services,&#8221; such as those for HIV sufferers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited by: Alex Berry<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/senegal-president-signs-off-on-lgbtq-law-doubling-maximum-jail-term-for-same-sex-relations\/a-76612496&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/static.dw.com\/image\/76332167_6.jpg&#8221;] https:\/\/p.dw.com\/p\/5BSPQ An LGBTQ rights group wrote to President Diomaye Faye asking him not to sign the bill into lawImage: Light Oriye Tamunotonye\/AFP Senegal&#8216;s official journal on Tuesday showed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had formally signed into law new legislation on same-sex relations that have proved\u00a0contentious abroad despite broad political support within [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,74],"class_list":["post-1857527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dw-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1857527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857527\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1857527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1857527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1857527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}