Focus on Africa - Senegal doubles penalty for same-sex relationships

Senegal doubles penalty for same-sex relationships

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During a parliamentary session, legislators in Senegal voted on a bill that was introduced last month by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, doubling the penalty for same sex relationships that are already a crime in the West African country. People convicted under the new law will now serve prison sentences of between 5 and 10 years and face fines of up to 17,600 USD.

We also look at why snakebite antivenom is so expensive in many African countries. In a conversation with Professor John Amuasi of the Global Snakebite Task Force, we discuss what can be done to improve access to treatment for snakebites in remote parts of Africa.

Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Bella Twine, Basma El Atti and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi
Senior Producers: Daniel Dadzie and Blessing Aderogba
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Published on Thursday, 12th March 2026.

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