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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBlood bank assures the nation its blood supply is HIV-free<\/p>\n
Senegal police released this photo of 12 men arrested on homosexuality charges in February.
\nThe West African nation of Senegal remains enmeshed in anti-gay turmoil marked by homophobic police raids and probes, more than 50 arrests for \u201cunnatural acts\u201d and claims about gay networks deliberately spreading HIV.
\nThe wave of arrests has now reached into the holy city of Touba,\u00a0 the heart of Senegal\u2019s dominant local Sufi Muslim sect, and into the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) in Dakar.
\nThe Great Mosque of Touba (Photo courtesy of APA News)
\nIn the midst of the anti-LGBTQ panic the National Assembly on March 11 overwhelmingly approved a bill to double the prison sentences for same-sex intercourse and criminalize so-called \u201cpromotion\u201d of homosexuality. Late last month, Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed that bill into law.
\nThe total number of Senegal\u2019s recent anti-gay arrests reached 56 on April 2, when police apprehended a CNTS doctor who had traveled to Blaise Diagne International Airport to try to flee the country. Senegal media report that he is currently hospitalized, recovering from a suicide attempt.
\nCNTS issued a press release assuring the public that its stored blood remains untainted with HIV and is safe for use in medical procedures.
\nReligious singer Ass Dione (Photo courtesy of IGFM)
\nLeral.net, a prominent Senegalese online news portal, said the arrest of religious singer Ass Dione \u201cstands out as the most significant\u201d among the 50-plus arrests, \u201ctriggering both surprise and outrage across social media platforms.\u201d
\nDione is renowned for his melodic recitations of religious poems that are performed during the month of Ramadan. His performances are widely shared across digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
\nAn additional nine arrests this past week in the city of Saint-Louis in northwest Senegal included Khadim S\u00e8ye \u2014 a master tailor and owner of Kemtane Fashion. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, unnatural acts, and the intentional transmission of HIV through unprotected sexual intercourse. Homophobic and fearful citizens of Senegal often assume that HIV-positive men who have sex are deliberately spreading the virus.
\nFashion stylist Khadim S\u00e8ye (Photo courtesy of Liberation)
\nKhadim S\u00e8ye \u2014 who has two wives \u2014 reportedly confessed and blamed \u201cSatan\u201d for leading him into trouble.
\n See Also<\/p>\n
The anti-gay crackdown began in December, when, according to the local press, 30 men were taken into custody on suspicion of committing \u201cunnatural acts,\u201d 27 of whom were placed in pretrial detention..
\nA dozen men were arrested\u00a0 on Feb. 6 for \u201cunnatural acts\u201d and \u201cintentionally transmitting HIV\u201d. Among them was \u00a0Pape Cheikh Diallo, a popular television reporter, and Djiby Dram\u00e9, a musician.
\nAnother five men were arrested for homosexual activity on Feb. 12 in Touba, They were charged with \u00a0conspiracy, unnatural acts and endangering the lives of others.
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