Burkina Faso's transitional parliament has passed a law banning hom0s£xuality, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
The Persons and Family Code law, making Burkina Faso the latest in a series of African countries to criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) activity, also tightens laws on nationality and stateless people.
The military that took over Burkina Faso in a 2022 coup has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent amid worsening Islamist militant violence in the West African country.
The legislation was passed unanimously by the unelected, 71-member transitional parliament on Monday and is awaiting the signature of military junta leader, Ibrahim Traore.
'The law provides for a prison sentence ranging from two to five years and a fine,' Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said on state television on Monday night.
"Anh person who (engages in) homosexual practices ... will appear before a judge and, in the event of a repeat offence, be deported if you are not a Burkinabe national," he said.
He also said the law goes into effect immediately and condemned hom0s£xual acts as 'bizarre behaviour.'
Anti-gay laws are in place in various conservative African countries including Senegal, Uganda and Malawi, though some others, including South Africa, Botswana and Angola, have decriminalised LGBTQ+.
The laws, although criticised by the West, enjoy popularity in the countries where locals and officials have criticised homosexuality as behaviour imported from abroad and not a sexual orientation.
Burkina Faso has been rule by the military following a coup in 2022.
The Persons and Family Code law, making Burkina Faso the latest in a series of African countries to criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) activity, also tightens laws on nationality and stateless people.
The military that took over Burkina Faso in a 2022 coup has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent amid worsening Islamist militant violence in the West African country.
The legislation was passed unanimously by the unelected, 71-member transitional parliament on Monday and is awaiting the signature of military junta leader, Ibrahim Traore.
'The law provides for a prison sentence ranging from two to five years and a fine,' Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said on state television on Monday night.
"Anh person who (engages in) homosexual practices ... will appear before a judge and, in the event of a repeat offence, be deported if you are not a Burkinabe national," he said.
He also said the law goes into effect immediately and condemned hom0s£xual acts as 'bizarre behaviour.'
Anti-gay laws are in place in various conservative African countries including Senegal, Uganda and Malawi, though some others, including South Africa, Botswana and Angola, have decriminalised LGBTQ+.
The laws, although criticised by the West, enjoy popularity in the countries where locals and officials have criticised homosexuality as behaviour imported from abroad and not a sexual orientation.
Burkina Faso has been rule by the military following a coup in 2022.
0 Comments