The Dutch embassy in Senegal canceled an LGBTQIA+ meeting on Friday. The reason for this is the strict anti-homosexuality laws in the West African country. The Senegalese government threatened to take measures.
The embassy in the capital Dakar, together with the United Nations, intended to organize an event dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community. A film would be shown at the UN human rights office in Dakar, after which a discussion about the theme would follow with various organizations.
But the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X that such an event would be contrary to legislation in the country. The Senegalese government says it will not accept “any form of propaganda or promotion of the LGBTQIA+ community”. The ministry has also informed the Dutch government of this.
In the statement, Senegal threatens to take measures against the organizers of the event. The country has very strict anti-homosexuality laws. Violators can face a maximum of five years in prison and fines.
Later in the day, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs told news agency Reuters that the event had been canceled. The ministry emphasizes that the Netherlands “stands for human rights and equal treatment”, but “for various reasons” had nevertheless decided to cancel the event.