Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament has passed a law banning homosexuality, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
The new Persons and Family Code law makes Burkina Faso the latest African country to criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activity. The legislation also introduces stricter rules regarding nationality and stateless persons.
Since the military takeover in a 2022 coup, the ruling junta has become increasingly intolerant of dissent amid rising Islamist militant violence in the West African nation.
The law was unanimously approved on Monday by the unelected, 71-member transitional parliament and now awaits the signature of military junta leader Ibrahim Traore.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state television that the law stipulates prison sentences ranging from two to five years, along with fines.
“A person who engages in homosexual acts will be brought before a judge and, in the case of repeat offenses, non-Burkinabe nationals may be deported,” he said.
Bayala added that the law takes immediate effect and condemned homosexuality as “bizarre behavior.”
Similar anti-gay laws exist in several conservative African countries, including Senegal, Uganda, and Malawi. Conversely, nations such as South Africa, Botswana, and Angola have decriminalized LGBTQ activities or implemented protective laws.
While these laws face criticism from Western countries, they remain popular locally, where homosexuality is often dismissed as a foreign import rather than a sexual orientation.
Burkina Faso has been under military rule since the 2022 coup.
