BURKINA FASO CRIMINALISES HOMOSEXUALITY UNDER NEW TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT LAW

Burkina Faso’s transitional government has introduced a new law criminalising homosexuality, with offenders facing prison terms of two to five years. The legislation, passed unanimously on Monday by the 71 unelected members of the transitional assembly, comes under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré, who rose to power after two coups in 2022.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced the measure, stating that those convicted will also face fines in addition to jail time. He added that foreign nationals found guilty under the law would be deported. “Anyone engaging in homosexual or similar practices—what we consider deviant behaviour—will be brought before the courts,” Bayala said.

The law, which takes immediate effect, forms part of a broader reform of family and citizenship legislation. Officials say it will be promoted nationwide through a public awareness campaign. However, rights groups are expected to criticise the legislation, particularly for restricting legal recourse in nationality cases and tightening state control.

Since the 2022 military takeover, Burkina Faso’s rulers have pledged to restore stability amid worsening insecurity and to improve governance, yet human rights organisations accuse the junta of suppressing freedoms through arbitrary arrests and forced military conscription of critics.

With this move, Burkina Faso joins more than half of African nations that criminalise same-sex relations, some with prison terms and others with the death penalty. Its ally Mali passed similar laws in November 2024, while Ghana and Uganda have also recently enacted stricter anti-LGBTQ+ measures.

In Uganda, the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act introduced provisions that classify “aggravated homosexuality” as a capital offence and impose life sentences for consensual same-sex relations.