France expressed its deep concern on Thursday over the strengthening of legislation targeting LGBT+ people in Senegal. Adopted in mid-March, a new law provides for a significant increase in penalties for homosexual relations, which are now punishable by five to ten years in prison. It also introduces new offenses related to the promotion or financing of the advocacy of homosexuality.
During a press briefing, the spokesperson for the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Pascal Confavreux, highlighted this concern, specifying that Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had discussed the issue with his Senegalese counterpart, Cheikh Niang, during their meeting on Monday in Paris.
This legislative tightening comes in a tense climate marked by a rise in homophobic acts and rhetoric, as well as a series of arrests for alleged homosexuality. On April 10, a court in Dakar sentenced a young man to six years in prison after he was caught in a relationship with another man in the capital’s suburbs.
The reform has also drawn strong international criticism. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the text, which he considers contrary to fundamental rights.
Paris reiterated on this occasion its commitment to the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, as well as its fight against all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation.