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Senegalese police arrest 11 for homosexual acts, residents say

Boukhari Ndiaye said the arrested were among 20 people attending a celebration of a gay marriage at a school in the town about 200 kilometres southeast of the capital, Dakar, on Friday.

People attending gay marriage celebration 200 kilometres outside capital Dakar arrested

In this archive photo from 2008, anti-gay protesters are seen outside of Dakar's main mosque protesting a magazine's publication of images from a gay wedding. Homosexuality is illegal in the mostly Muslim nation of Senegal. (Normand Blouin/Reuters)

​Residents in the Senegalese town of Kaolack say police have arrested 11 people accused of homosexual acts.

Boukhari Ndiaye said the arrested were among 20 people attending a celebration of a gay marriage at a school in the town about 200 kilometres southeast of the capital, Dakar, on Friday.

He said the 11 remain at the police station.

Homosexual acts are criminalized in at least 34 African countries, including Senegal, where they are punishable by up to five years prison and fines of up to $2,500.

A well-known Senegalese journalist was sentenced in July to six months in prison for acts of homosexuality. Seven men were also arrested and imprisoned.

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