West African nations tighten anti‑LGBTQ+ laws

Senegal has doubled the maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalised the "promotion" of homosexuality. Niger criminalised same‑sex relations for the first time, and Mali and Burkina Faso have followed suit, each enacting new prohibitions under military juntas. In June, Ghana passed a bill criminalising LGBTQ+ "activities", though it has not yet been signed by the president.

Activists say the wave of legislation reflects political opportunism, with religious groups and "family values" campaigns backing the measures. Anthony Oluoch of Pan Africa ILGA notes a “transnational reinforcement” behind the laws. Reports describe detentions of transgender women, police entrapment on social media, and beatings by military units. The African Inter‑Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty, seen as influencing the trend, will be held in Burkina Faso and later in Eswatini.