Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are on the rise across west Africa, campaigners warn

The Guardian UK Sunday 02 August 2026, 04:00 UTC By Rachel Savage in Johannesburg 1 min read

Key Points

Activists in the region say politicians regard LGBTQ+ people as ‘the easiest scapegoats to maintain their power’A growing number of west African countries are implementing or strengthening anti-LGBTQ+ laws, amid local political pressures and a global pushback against LGBTQ+ rights. In March, Senegal doubled the maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalised the “promotion” of homosexuality. Niger criminalised “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” in February, the...

Activists in the region say politicians regard LGBTQ+ people as ‘the easiest scapegoats to maintain their power’

A growing number of west African countries are implementing or strengthening anti-LGBTQ+ laws, amid local political pressures and a global pushback against LGBTQ+ rights.

In March, Senegal doubled the maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalised the “promotion” of homosexuality. Niger criminalised “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” in February, the first time same-sex intimacy had been outlawed in the country.

west Africa (LOCATION) west African (ORG) Senegal (LOCATION) Niger (PERSON)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are on the rise across west Africa, campaigners warn

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