Senegal lawmakers to debate same-sex relations bill

Senegal's National Assembly is scheduled on Wednesday to debate legislation that would double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making them punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The West African nation has seen an intensified crackdown in recent weeks against same-sex relations, with multiple arrests and a rise in online attacks, prompting an outcry from human rights groups.

Legislators "are summoned to a plenary session on Wednesday, March 11, 2026" for review of the bill, a National Assembly document signed Friday showed.

Late last month Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko unveiled the legislation, which centres on what is an extremely hot-button issue for the Muslim-majority and deeply religious nation.

Earlier in February, a dozen men were arrested, including two local celebrities, accused of "acts against nature" -- a term used to describe same-sex relations.

That spurred a wave of arrests reported almost daily -- at least 30 people according to local press, based on accusations and phone searches, with the names of those detained made public.

Some of those detained have faced accusations of deliberately transmitting HIV, fuelling further fierce debate about same-sex relations.

In addition to doubling prison terms for those found guilty of same-sex relations, Sonko's bill would also punish those who advocate for LGBTQ people with prison sentences of three to seven years.