DAKAR – Burkina Faso’s military junta has approved an amended family code that includes provisions criminalizing homosexuality, a significant departure from the previous acceptance of same-sex relations in the country.
This move places Burkina Faso among the majority of African nations where homosexuality is illegal, with severe penalties such as death or lengthy prison terms in some states. The country has been under military rule following coups in 2022 and is part of a confederation with military regimes in Mali and Niger.
Burkina Faso’s junta, under interim military leader Ibrahim Traore, has recently adopted an amended family code draft that prohibits and criminalizes homosexuality and related practices in the country.
This decision comes as the country has seen three failed interim governments that have not held elections and have distanced themselves from traditional Western allies. The announcement was made by interim Justice Minister Edasso Rodrique Bayala following a council of ministers meeting overseen by Traore.
The tightening of LGBTQ rights in Africa, with recent developments including Uganda signing strict anti-LGBTQ laws, Ghana passing legislation to repress LGBTQ individuals, and the daughter of Cameroon’s president, Brenda Biya, coming out as a lesbian and advocating for changes in laws banning homosexuality in the country.
The need for a new law to pass a parliamentary vote and be promulgated by Traore for it to come into effect.
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