Burkina Faso’s military junta recently approved revisions to the family code, which now includes provisions criminalizing homosexuality.
Previously, Burkina Faso was one of 22 African countries where same-sex relationships were legally permitted.
Since the 2022 coups, Burkina Faso has been under military rule and part of a confederation with Mali and Niger’s juntas. None of these interim governments have held elections yet and have distanced themselves from Western allies.
In a statement on Wednesday, the junta announced the adoption of the updated family code during a weekly council of ministers meeting led by interim military leader Ibrahim Traore.
“Effective immediately, homosexuality and related practices are prohibited and subject to legal penalties,” interim Justice Minister Edasso Rodrique Bayala stated in a presidential announcement.
This legislation will need approval through a parliamentary vote and subsequent ratification by Traore to take effect.
In the past 14 months, there has been a noticeable increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation across Africa. Uganda enacted some of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ laws last May, while Ghana’s lawmakers unanimously passed similar legislation in February.
Additionally, Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroon’s president, publicly revealed her homosexuality last month and has since advocated for reforms to the laws that criminalize homosexuality in her country.
