A 51-year-old political figure from Senegal, identified by local press as Matar Ndiaga Seck and described as a close ally of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, has been detained by the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC) amid allegations of unnatural acts.
The arrest follows a warrant issued by police in Linguère, a town in the northern region of Louga. Investigators claim to have gathered consistent evidence linking Seck to a case involving at least 20 individuals arrested in the Djoloff area.
At this time, Senegalese authorities have not disclosed specific details about the charges or the current status of the legal proceedings.
The term unnatural acts refers to Article 319 of the Senegalese Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex relations. The legal framework has recently been tightened, with a new law enacted in late March 2026 that imposes stricter penalties—up to a decade in prison—for same-sex conduct and expands restrictions on promotion of such relationships.
Since the law took effect, over a hundred arrests have been reported across the country. A French national remains detained since February 14 in a related case, with support from advocacy groups available for legal defense.
Human rights organizations have also launched emergency response initiatives to assist victims of violence and persecution. Their international hotline has already fielded more than 3,000 calls for help.
