West Africa anti‑LGBTQ legislative wave

In early August, several West African states intensified legal restrictions on LGBTQ people. Senegal raised the maximum prison term for gay sex to ten years and banned any “promotion” of homosexuality. Niger introduced its first criminalisation of same‑sex relations, while Mali and Burkina Faso, under military juntas, enacted new prohibitions. Ghana also moved forward, passing a bill that criminalises LGBTQ activities, though it had not yet been signed by the president.

Two days later, Ghana’s parliament adjourned without revisiting the anti‑LGBTQ bill, despite earlier assurances that it would be reconsidered. The session instead focused on unrelated legislation covering cocoa pricing, excise taxes, customs reform, and other policy areas. The bill’s delay highlights a broader regional trend of tightening anti‑LGBTQ measures, even as individual legislative processes encounter setbacks.