Burkina Faso’s parliament has unanimously passed a law banning homosexuality, with offenders facing prison terms of two to five years, state broadcaster RTB reported late Monday.
The amended family code, first approved by the military government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré more than a year ago, was formally adopted by lawmakers on Monday. The new legislation places Burkina Faso among more than half of Africa’s 54 countries where homosexuality is criminalized, with penalties ranging from prison sentences to the death penalty in some states.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, speaking on state television, confirmed that the law takes immediate effect. He described homosexual acts as “bizarre behavior” and framed the legislation as a move to uphold “marriage and family values” in the country. “You will go before the judge,” he warned potential offenders.
Burkina Faso’s move mirrors that of its neighbor and close ally Mali, also under military rule, which passed a similar law in November 2024. Elsewhere on the continent, Uganda and Ghana have also tightened anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in recent years. Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act drew global condemnation for introducing the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality” and life sentences for same-sex relations.
Although criticized abroad by human rights groups, such laws enjoy widespread support in the countries where they are passed, with homosexuality often portrayed by officials as a “foreign import” rather than a natural orientation.
The country, has been under military rule since September 2022, following the country’s second coup that year. The junta, led by Ibrahim Traoré, justified its takeover as necessary to stabilize the country amid worsening jihadist insurgencies and governance challenges.
Rights groups, however, accuse the junta of widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, forced conscription of critics, and crackdowns on dissent.
Despite the criticism, Traoré has positioned himself as a pan-African leader, frequently delivering rhetoric about independence from Western influence a stance that has resonated with segments of Africa’s youthful population.