Key facts
- Senegal increased the maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalized the promotion of homosexuality.
- Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have criminalized same-sex relations for the first time in recent years.
- Ghana passed a law criminalizing LGBTQ+ activities, though it awaits presidential signature.
- Activists point to political opportunism and transnational conservative groups influencing these laws.
- The African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty is linked to the trend, supported by groups like Family Watch International.
- New laws are negatively impacting LGBTQ+ communities, including detentions and hindering HIV prevention efforts.
A growing number of West African nations are implementing or strengthening anti-LGBTQ+ laws, a trend campaigners attribute to local political pressures, religious influence, and a global pushback against LGBTQ+ rights. Senegal recently doubled its maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalized the promotion of homosexuality. Niger outlawed same-sex intimacy for the first time in February, while Mali and Burkina Faso have also criminalized such relations in the past two years, with both latter countries now ruled by military juntas.
Ghana, which already criminalizes gay sex, passed a law in June that targets LGBTQ+ activities. This legislation is the latest iteration of a bill first introduced in 2021 and is awaiting presidential signature. Activists describe these moves as "political opportunism," with some laws framed as a defense of "family values" or national sovereignty against Western influence, particularly in countries like Burkina Faso.
Beyond local politics, transnational reinforcement from conservative groups, including Western Christian organizations, is playing a significant role. The African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty, supported by groups like Family Watch International and Christian Council International, has been instrumental. This conference, which has been held annually in Uganda since 2023, aims to promote traditional family values and has influenced the drafting of treaties like the African Charter on Family Sovereignty and Values.
The impact on LGBTQ+ communities has been severe, even before laws are fully implemented. Activists report detentions, entrapment on social media by police demanding denouncements, and convictions. In Burkina Faso, 13 transgender women were detained without trial, reporting abuse. The crackdown also hinders vital HIV prevention services, particularly for men who have sex with men and transgender women, who have higher HIV prevalence rates. Approximately 100 Senegalese individuals sought refuge in Gambia, though many were forced to return due to lack of resources. The Gambia itself has strict laws against same-sex relations and transgender individuals, and activists fear further strengthening of these measures.