Those convicted could face up to five years in prison
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY ALEXMAK7/ CAMVA
Burkina Faso has passed a bill banning homosexual acts, with the new measure voted unanimously through by the country’s unelected transitional parliament. This new law means that anyone in a same-sex relationship could face between two and five years in prison as well as fines. Foreign nationals breaking this law can also be deported.
This new legislation is awaiting the signature of military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore. Following a coup in 2022, Traore came into power in Burkina Faso.
Following in the footsteps of other African countries like Mali and Uganda, these new developments in Burkina Faso show the growing anti-LGBTQIA+ stance within African governments. Despite there being backlash globally – with the World Bank even banning loaning money to Uganda due to their anti-LGBTQIA+ stance – more countries are following suit.
Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa (IDNOWA) responded to the new law, stating: “This law is not only inhumane — it is a dangerous distraction. At a time when citizens are calling for transparency, economic stability, and peace, the government has chosen to scapegoat LGBTQ+ individuals to deflect from its own failures. Such tactics erode public trust and deepen social divisions.”
Davis Mac-Iyalla, Executive Director of IDNOWA, added: “LGBTQ+ people are not outsiders – we are part of Africa’s story, its spirit, and its future. Criminalising our existence is a betrayal of our shared humanity and a denial of the continent’s rich diversity.”
While several African countries, like Burkina Faso, have criminalised same-sex relationships over the last couple of years, there are glimmers of hope. Angola, Botswana, and Mauritius have all decriminalised homosexuality.
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