Burkina Faso's military junta enacted a law criminalizing homosexuality after approval by 71 unelected junta parliament members and pending President Ibrahim Traoré's signature. The law's scope remains unclear on whether it targets same-sex sexual relations or broader LGBTQ+ identities. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced penalties of two to five years' imprisonment, fines, and deportation for repeat offenders who are not Burkinabe. LGBTQ+ identities were not previously outlawed despite limited social acceptance. The ban accompanies a junta-led overhaul of marriage laws after the 2022 coups amid documented concerns about coup-related human rights abuses. Globally, 61 countries criminalize same-sex relations, mainly in Africa, often under colonial-era laws, with punishments ranging up to the death penalty.
Burkina Faso's military junta has banned homosexuality three years after overthrowing the nation's former government. The 71 unelected members of the junta parliament approved the law Monday, which now awaits the signature of President Ibrahim Traoré, a former army captain who seized power after two coups in 2022. The specifics of the ban have not been revealed - whether it applies to same-sex sexual relations or any LGBTQ+ identity broadly.
"The law provides for a prison sentence ranging from two to five years and a fine," Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state television Monday night, as reported by multiple outlets. "A person who [engages in] homosexual practices ... will appear before a judge and, in the event of a repeat offense, be deported if you are not a Burkinabe national."
While LGBTQ+ identities are not widely accepted in the nation, they were not previously outlawed. The ban comes as part of the junta's overhaul of marriage laws after usurping power from the country's former military ruler, Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba. Human Rights Watch has previously said the 2022 military coup in Burkina Faso was "responsible for serious abuses, further degrading [the country's] human rights and humanitarian situation."
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