A 51-year-old political figure identified by multiple local outlets as a close associate of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has been detained by the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC) in connection with alleged « acts against nature ».

Sources within law enforcement confirm the arrest followed an active warrant issued by police in Linguère, a town in the Louga region of northern Senegal. Investigators allege a pattern of evidence linking the case to a broader crackdown in the Djoloff area, where at least twenty individuals have been taken into custody in recent weeks.

At this time, no official details have been released regarding the specific charges or the current stage of the legal proceedings against the detainee.

The legal term « acts against nature » refers directly to Article 319 of Senegal’s Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex relations. The recent legislative tightening in March 2026 has further intensified penalties, now allowing for prison sentences of up to ten years and expanding the scope of offenses to include the « promotion » of such relations.

Since the new law came into force, reports indicate over a hundred arrests across the country. A French national has also been held in Senegal since February 14 on similar grounds. Support groups are actively coordinating with legal representatives to address urgent cases, with an international hotline receiving over 3,000 calls from affected individuals.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst