Lead

Dozens of people have been arrested in Niger for homosexuality following the introduction of a new penal code earlier this year, according to a report by The Guardian. Up to 40 people have been arrested and 16 men, including high-ranking military officials, have been imprisoned across the country, as reported by local media cited in the article. The arrests have been described as a “witch-hunt” by a source who asked to remain anonymous, adding that the climate is “truly toxic” and that LGBTQ+ populations are keeping a low profile and going into hiding.

Coverage Comparison

The Guardian’s report focuses on the human impact of the new penal code, detailing arrests, imprisonment, and the suspension of HIV services for men who have sex with men. It quotes an anonymous source who says organisations providing these services have had to stop working. The report also notes that Niger’s penal code, enacted in February, criminalises “indecent or unnatural acts” and “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” with up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 100m West African CFA francs (£130,000).

Africa News, meanwhile, provides a broader regional perspective, covering a wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment across west Africa. It mentions Niger’s penal code, but frames it within a trend that includes Uganda, Senegal, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. Africa News also quotes experts and activists on the motivations behind such laws, with some attributing them to politicians deflecting from other issues or playing to homophobic bases.

Key Claims

  • Arrests and imprisonment in Niger: As reported by The Guardian, up to 40 people have been arrested and 16 men, including high-ranking military officials, have been imprisoned across the country. This information appears in a single report and has not been independently verified.
  • New penal code: Niger’s new penal code, introduced in February, criminalises same-sex relations with imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine. The code also makes “indecent or unnatural acts” punishable, as detailed by The Guardian.
  • HIV services disrupted: Organisations providing HIV services to men who have sex with men have stopped working due to the arrests and the climate of fear, according to an anonymous source cited by The Guardian.
  • Charter of the Refoundation: The Guardian reports that Gen Abdourahamane Tiani’s regime introduced a Charter of the Refoundation, which prohibits LGBTQ+ relations and introduces criminal penalties.
  • Regional wave: Africa News reports that a wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment is sweeping west Africa, with several countries introducing or strengthening laws. For instance, Burkina Faso criminalised same-sex relations in September 2025, Senegal adopted a law doubling sentences to five to 10 years in March, Ghana passed a bill with up to three years for same-sex relations, and Uganda’s 2023 law made “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by death.

Perspectives

Government viewpoint (implicit through reported statements): The Nigerien military government, led by Gen Abdourahamane Tiani, has introduced the penal code and Charter as part of its agenda, which Africa News suggests includes rejecting “Western values” and asserting sovereignty. The Guardian notes that Tiani has pushed anti-imperialist rhetoric and formed an alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali.

Activists and experts: Both reports quote voices critical of the crackdown. Africa News cites Ugandan rights activist Agather Atuhaire, who says politicians exploit homophobia to gain public support. French-Senegalese expert Marame Kane argues that LGBTQ+ people are scapegoats used to deflect attention from other issues. Political scientist Larissa Kojoué, quoted in The Guardian, dismisses the idea that homosexuality is linked to western culture and says political leaders are using these laws to advance their own agendas. The anonymous source in Niger describes the climate as toxic, with the community forced into hiding.

Regional civil society: The reports also note that similar laws in neighbouring countries have been followed by the Nigeria penal code, suggesting a regional trend. Sociologist El Hadji Souleymane Gassama, quoted by Africa News, notes that politicians in debt-ridden Senegal, with rising discontent, have “fell back on the one subject that draws broad unanimity, regardless of political divisions.

Conclusion

The situation in Niger highlights a growing trend in West Africa where governments are using anti-LGBTQ legislation as a tool, often justified as a defense of traditional values. While the full impact is not yet clear, the arrests and the halt of HIV services have raised serious concerns among human rights groups and local activists.