Same-sex relationships will now be punishable by imprisonment of between five and ten years, as well as a fine.
Anyone who marries a person of the same sex faces between ten and twenty years in prison. The far-reaching law will impose the same sentence on people involved in “associations for homosexuals or LGBTQIA people.”
The initiative to change the law was taken during the country's previous civilian rule, under President Mohamed Bazoum, after pressure from religious groups. The agenda has been further pursued by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a coup in 2023.
Similar laws have recently been introduced in Burkina Faso and Ghana, while Senegal has tightened existing penalties.
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