France takes un stand against anti-LGBTQ laws in Africa

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on X that Paris is submitting a United Nations resolution to protect LGBT+ individuals from criminalization. This diplomatic move follows Senegal’s enactment of a harsh anti-LGBTQ law, and the detention of a French national under the same provisions in Dakar.

Diplomatic response to Senegal’s 2026 anti-LGBTQ legislation

The Senegalese National Assembly passed the controversial bill on March 11, 2026, with no opposition, before it was signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on March 30. The legislation doubles the maximum prison sentence for “unnatural acts” from five to ten years and increases fines tenfold to ten million West African CFA francs. Additionally, it criminalizes the promotion, support, or financing of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identities, framing the measure as an assertion of national sovereignty.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk had urged Senegal to reject the bill, warning that it violated international obligations. Meanwhile, France’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux expressed Paris’ concerns on April 16, noting that Barrot had raised the issue directly with Senegalese counterpart Cheikh Niang during a meeting in Paris.

French national detained under Senegal’s new law

A French citizen has been held in Dakar since February 14 under the new anti-LGBTQ provisions. Consular officials report conducting four visits to the detainee, maintaining contact with family members. On April 10, a Dakar court sentenced a Senegalese man born in 2002 to six years in prison under similar charges.

Official French records indicate that 62 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex relations, with eleven imposing the death penalty. The timeline for UN Human Rights Council consideration of France’s resolution in Geneva remains undisclosed.