- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Burkina Faso has enacted a controversial new law that criminalises homosexuality, imposing prison terms of up to five years and heavy fines for offenders. The legislation, passed unanimously by 71 unelected members of the country’s transitional parliament, was announced this week by Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala.
Under the law, foreign nationals found guilty of same-sex relationships will not only face jail time and fines but will also be deported. The government has confirmed that the measure will be immediately enforced and promoted through a nationwide awareness campaign.
The amended family code was approved on Monday, more than a year after the military government of Capt. Ibrahim Traore first introduced it. Traoré came to power in September 2022 after Burkina Faso’s second coup that year, pledging to restore stability amid growing insecurity and to assert the country’s independence from Western influence.
Harsh Penalties And Broader Crackdown
Justice Minister Bayala, speaking on national broadcaster RTB, defended the law, saying:
“If a person is a perpetrator of homosexual or similar practices, all the bizarre behaviour, they will go before the judge.” He added that punishments would include both prison time and fines, while foreigners would be expelled.
With the new legislation, Burkina Faso joins more than half of Africa’s 54 countries that already criminalise same-sex relationships. Punishments across the continent range from several years in prison to, in some countries, the death penalty.
Popular Support Despite Global Criticism
While international human rights organisations have strongly condemned such measures, within Burkina Faso and many other African nations, these laws are widely supported. Local leaders often portray homosexuality as a foreign import rather than a natural sexual orientation. This narrative has helped fuel domestic support for crackdowns despite global backlash.
The junta argues that the law is part of broader reforms of family and citizenship legislation. However, critics say it is also a tool for the military-led government to tighten its grip on power. Rights groups accuse the Traor regime of stifling dissent, arbitrarily detaining critics, and forcing opponents into military service.
Burkina Faso’s move comes amid a rising wave of anti-LBGTQ legislation across Africa. In Ghana, lawmakers have pursued stricter laws, while Uganda passed one of the world’s harshest anti-gay bills in 2023. The Ugandan law introduced the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and life imprisonment for consensual same-sex acts, sparking international outrage.
