Burkina Faso's unelected transitional parliament has passed a bill banning homosexual acts, a little over a year after a draft of an amended family code that criminalized homosexuality was adopted by the country's cabinet.
The new measure, unanimously voted through on Monday, imposes punishments of up to five years in jail and has become part of a broader crackdown on same-sex relationships across the continent.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state-run media that, the law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines. He added that foreign nationals caught breaking the law would also be deported.
The next step for the legislation is obtaining the signature of the country's military leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in 2022 following a coup.
Burkina Faso has now shifted from previously allowing same-sex relations to joining neighboring countries in implementing severe anti-LGBT regulations. The region has seen a rise in sentiments against homosexuality, which is now punishable by death or long prison terms in several states across Africa.
Criticism has mounted against nations enacting strict anti-LGBT laws, with concerns raised by international bodies such as the World Bank, which previously imposed financial bans on countries like Uganda due to their anti-LGBT policies.
Furthermore, Nigeria and Ghana are also grappling with similar laws, as Africa confronts contentious issues related to LGBT rights amid ongoing social conservatism.
