Ofure Akhigbe
Burkina Faso’s parliament has passed a law criminalising homosexuality, with offenders facing prison terms of two to five years, the state broadcaster reported late Monday.
The amendment to the family code — unanimously approved by lawmakers — was first introduced more than a year ago under the military government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré. With Monday’s vote, the law takes immediate effect, making Burkina Faso the latest African nation to outlaw same-sex relationships.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, speaking on state television, defended the law as a reaffirmation of “marriage and family values” in Burkina Faso, describing homosexual acts as “bizarre behavior.” He warned: “You will go before the judge.” In addition to jail terms, offenders also face financial penalties.
Burkina Faso now joins more than half of Africa’s 54 countries where homosexuality is punishable by law. In some states, penalties range from several years behind bars to the death penalty.
The move follows closely on the heels of Burkina Faso’s ally and neighbor Mali, also under military rule, which enacted a similar ban in November 2024. Across the continent, governments in Uganda and Ghana have also toughened anti-LGBTQ+ laws in recent years — with Uganda imposing life imprisonment for same-sex relations and even the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The Traoré-led junta, which seized power in September 2022 after the country’s second coup that year, claims its rule is meant to restore security amid relentless insurgent violence. But rights groups argue the regime is instead tightening its grip by eroding civil liberties, conscripting critics, and now targeting LGBTQ+ communities.
Since taking power, Traoré has styled himself as a pan-African leader rejecting Western influence, a message that resonates with many young people across the region. For his government, the criminalisation of homosexuality is framed as part of that stance — defending “African values” against what officials call foreign imports.
With the law now in force, same-sex couples in Burkina Faso face the prospect of prison, fines, and public condemnation under a system increasingly intolerant of dissent and diversity.