Senegalese TV Presenter and Singer Are Arrested in Crackdown on Homosexuality

Two Senegalese celebrities — a TV presenter and a singer — have been arrested and charged with committing “unnatural acts,” a crime referring to gay sex, the police in Senegal said on Sunday.

The celebrities — Pape Cheikh Diallo, a beloved TV presenter, and Djiby Dramé, a musician — appeared alongside 10 other men in a court outside the capital, Dakar, on Monday. The police said in a statement that the case began with investigations into an H.I.V.-positive individual who had “confessed to knowingly infecting about ten people he had contacted, primarily through WhatsApp groups.”

It was unclear who among the 12 men had made the admission or whether Mr. Diallo and Mr. Dramé had been charged with the intention of spreading H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. Neither man entered a plea. A Senegalese judge was appointed to investigate.

A lawyer for Mr. Diallo, Abdou Dieng, said, “A lot of what’s being said in the media about Pape Cheikh is not true.” Other lawyers in court declined to comment.

The arrests are part of a recent crackdown on homosexuality in the country and occurred as many African countries have experienced a surge in anti-gay laws and policies. They are Senegal’s most high-profile anti-gay cases under a government that came to power in 2024 on a wave of youth support.

Senegal has become increasingly intolerant of gay and gender-fluid people in recent decades, experts say. Homosexuality is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of more than $2,700. But citizen groups have campaigned for harsher punishments.

“This case is happening in a context that is very charged, politically and culturally,” said Babacar M’Baye, a professor at Kent State University who has written about sexuality in Senegal. “There are groups that misrepresent the issue of homosexuality as something abnormal. The homophobic sentiments are extremely strong.”

Mr. Diallo, 42, interviews celebrities on TFM, the country’s most-watched television channel, which was founded by the musician Youssou N’Dour. With three million followers on TikTok, Mr. Diallo is especially popular among young people, and his face is ubiquitous in Senegal, staring down from billboards across the West African country.

Mr. Dramé, who is in his 40s and sings mostly in the Soninké and Bambara languages, is popular with an older crowd. He often performs with his wife, the singer Maman Chérie, and their duets are staples at Senegalese weddings. He is known for hosting an annual high-society gala — a celebration of Bazin, a luxurious damask cotton fabric worn for special occasions across West Africa.

Both celebrities are viewed as highly respectable family men. Mr. M’Baye, the professor, said their fame could influence how fans view homosexuality. “There’s going to be some scapegoating of the celebrity class, but also awareness-raising,” he said.

“People may wonder whether we shouldn’t be more tolerant.”