Authorities in Niger have arrested at least 16 people — and reportedly up to 40 in total — following the introduction of a sweeping new penal code that criminalises same-sex relations for the first time in the country's history. Those detained include high-ranking military and customs officials as well as civilians, according to judicial and local media sources. Enforcement operations are ongoing and are expected to extend to military barracks, university campuses and other locations where same-sex couples are believed to be living.
The new penal code, enacted in February 2025 and formalised in the official gazette dated March 27, imposes prison sentences of five to ten years and fines of up to 100 million CFA francs (approximately £130,000 or $180,000) for same-sex sexual relations. Penalties are harsher still for those found to have participated in, witnessed or organised a same-sex marriage, carrying terms of up to 20 years. Organisations that support LGBTQ+ people — including those providing HIV prevention services — face fines of up to 500 million CFA francs and potential imprisonment of those involved. The government did not respond to requests for comment on the arrests or the law's implementation.
Niger, a landlocked country in the Sahel region of West Africa, has been governed by a military junta since General Abdourahamane Tchiani seized power in a coup in July 2023 and was subsequently sworn in as president in 2025 for a five-year term, dissolving all political parties. Tchiani's regime has promoted anti-imperialist rhetoric and forged the Alliance of Sahel States with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso — both of which have similarly tightened anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent years — while breaking away from the regional bloc ECOWAS. Although moves to revise the penal code began under Niger's previous civilian president, the criminal penalties were introduced under the current military administration.
The human impact is already being felt. Organisations providing HIV testing, condoms and PrEP — preventive medication — to men who have sex with men have been forced to suspend their services. One anonymous source working in HIV services described the climate as