Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament has voted unanimously to criminalize homosexual acts, marking a significant shift in the country’s legal and social landscape.
The bill, passed on Monday, introduces punishments of up to five years in prison and monetary fines. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala confirmed the new provisions in a statement broadcast on state-run media.
“The law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines,” Bayala said. He added that foreigners found guilty of violating the law would be deported.
The legislation will now be sent to the country’s military leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, for his signature. Traoré has been in power since 2022, after deposing another coup leader, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba.
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Burkina Faso had previously stood among a minority of African nations that did not criminalize same-sex relationships. Out of 54 countries on the continent, just 22 had permitted same-sex relations, though several have moved recently to outlaw them.
The Sahel nation, which gained independence from France in 1960, did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws from colonial rule. Still, the country remains socially conservative, with religion playing a central role in public life.
The new law mirrors a rising tide of anti-LGBT measures across Africa. Last year, neighbouring Mali — also under military rule — criminalized same-sex relations. Uganda adopted one of the most severe anti-gay laws, introducing the death penalty for what it called “aggravated homosexuality.”
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International backlash has been swift in other cases. The World Bank previously suspended lending to Uganda over its anti-gay law, though that decision was later reversed.
Other African nations, including Nigeria and Ghana, have passed or attempted to pass restrictive laws targeting LGBT citizens.
With the latest move, Burkina Faso has officially joined a growing list of governments on the continent turning legal tolerance of homosexuality into criminalization.
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