Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Rise in West Africa: Urgent Human Rights 2026

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are on the rise across West Africa, with Senegal, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana implementing or strengthening restrictions on same-sex relations. This alarming trend, driven by political opportunism and transnational influence, threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals in the region.

Recent Legislative Changes in West Africa

In March, Senegal doubled the maximum prison sentence for gay sex to 10 years and criminalized the “promotion” of homosexuality. Niger followed in February, outlawing same-sex intimacy for the first time in the country’s history. Mali and Burkina Faso, both ruled by military juntas, also criminalized same-sex relations within the last two years.

Ghana, which already outlawed gay sex, passed a bill in June criminalizing LGBTQ+ “activities.” The bill, not yet signed into law, represents the latest iteration of legislation first introduced in 2021. These legal shifts reflect a broader regional pattern of increasing hostility toward LGBTQ+ rights.

Political Motivations and Religious Influence

According to Anthony Oluoch of Pan Africa ILGA, a continental LGBT+ rights campaign group, “What I see in all of them is a political opportunism.” In several countries, religious groups and campaigns for “family values” have backed the new or harsher laws. In Burkina Faso, where the population is predominantly Muslim, the law was framed as a boost to national sovereignty against Western influence.

“Underneath that all, there’s a lot of transnational reinforcement,” Oluoch added. LGBTQ+ people “are the easiest scapegoats to maintain their power,” said an activist in Burkina Faso, who spoke anonymously for security reasons. This political exploitation has devastating consequences for vulnerable communities.

Impact on LGBTQ+ Communities

The impact on the community, even before the law was implemented, has been devastating. Thirteen transgender women were detained without trial from June to November last year, according to an HIV worker. The women reported being beaten by a military unit that imprisoned them. After the law passed, there have been at least two sets of convictions.

Police are entrapping LGBTQ+ people on social media and demanding they denounce other community members, said the HIV worker, who fled the country in May. This climate of fear and persecution forces many to flee or go into hiding, exacerbating mental health crises and social isolation.

Comparative Table: Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in West Africa

Key Takeaways

• Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are expanding across West Africa, often under military or populist governments.
• Political leaders use LGBTQ+ communities as scapegoats to consolidate power and deflect from governance failures.
• Religious groups and “family values” campaigns play a significant role in legitimizing these laws.
• The laws lead to detention, violence, and forced displacement of LGBTQ+ individuals.
• International human rights organizations must pressure governments to reverse these trends.

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