The Burkina Faso government has criminalised homosexuality after its transitional parliament approved legislation imposing prison sentences and fines for same-sex relationships.
According to Al Jazeera, the unelected assembly passed the law on Monday, building on a draft family code first introduced by the cabinet last year.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala outlined the penalties on state media, saying, “The law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines.”
He further noted that foreign nationals convicted under the new legislation would also face deportation.
The bill now awaits the signature of the country’s military ruler, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup that ousted Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba.
Capt Traoré’s assent is the final step required before the law comes into force.
Until now, Burkina Faso was one of the few African states where same-sex relationships were legal.
Unlike several former British colonies, the West African nation did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws upon gaining independence from France in 1960.
However, the country remains deeply religious and socially conservative, with less than 10 percent of the population identifying as non-religious.
The decision mirrors a broader regional trend.
Neighbouring Mali, which is also under military rule and an ally of Burkina Faso, criminalised homosexuality in 2024.
Nigeria enforces some of the continent’s strictest bans, while Ghana’s anti-homosexuality bill, though passed by parliament, has yet to be signed into law.
Uganda has introduced the harshest measures, making “aggravated homosexuality” a capital offence and prescribing life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations.
International organisations have strongly opposed such crackdowns.
The World Bank, for instance, temporarily suspended loans to Uganda over its anti-LGBT legislation before later lifting the restriction.
Burkina Faso’s new law underscores a deepening clampdown on LGBT rights across West Africa, reflecting the growing influence of religious conservatism and military-backed governments in shaping social policy.
