Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament has passed a controversial bill banning homosexual acts, marking a sharp departure from the country’s previously more tolerant legal stance.
The legislation, unanimously approved on Monday, imposes prison sentences ranging from two to five years and monetary fines for those convicted. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala confirmed the new measures in a televised statement, adding that foreign nationals found guilty would also face deportation.
“The law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines,” Bayala announced on state-run media.
The bill now awaits the signature of Capt Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s military leader who seized power in 2022 after ousting Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba. Traoré’s government has presented the law as part of its broader push to reinforce “traditional values” in the country.
Until now, Burkina Faso was among just 22 out of 54 African nations where same-sex relations were not criminalised. This distinguished it from many of its neighbors, where penalties range from long prison terms to the death penalty. Following independence from France in 1960, the country did not inherit the anti-homosexuality laws that remain embedded in the legal systems of former British colonies.
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Socially conservative and deeply religious, with less than 10% of citizens identifying as non-religious, Burkina Faso’s society has long harbored widespread opposition to LGBT rights.
The decision aligns the West African nation with an intensifying regional crackdown on same-sex relationships. Last year, Mali — also under junta rule and a close ally of Burkina Faso — adopted similar legislation. Ghana’s parliament passed an anti-LGBT bill in 2023, though it was not signed into law. Meanwhile, Nigeria maintains one of Africa’s most sweeping bans, and Uganda has enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBT laws, including the death penalty for so-called “aggravated homosexuality.”
International institutions have begun pushing back. The World Bank last year suspended new loans to Uganda in response to its anti-LGBT law, raising questions over whether Burkina Faso could face similar financial or diplomatic consequences.
For now, the measure reflects a growing regional trend — one that further shrinks the space for LGBT rights across Africa.