The Parliament of Burkina Faso votes to prohibit homosexual acts

The unadumped transitional parliament of Burkina Faso has adopted a bill prohibiting homosexual acts, just over a year after a modified family code project which criminalized homosexuality was adopted by the country’s office.

The new measure voted unanimously on Monday requires sanctions up to five years in prison and has been part of a broader repression of homosexual relations across the continent.

The Minister of Justice Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on the media managed by the State that “the law provides for a prison sentence of two to five years as well as fines”.

He added that foreign nationals surprised to break the law would also be expelled.

The next stage of the legislation consists in obtaining the signature of the military leader of the country Capt Ibrahim Traoré, reports the news agency Reuters.

The Capt Traoré took power in 2022, after having forced another military leader, Lieutenant-collier Paul-Henri Damiba, of his functions.

The Nation of the Sahel only made 22 of the 54 African countries previously allowed homosexual relations, which are liable to death or long prison sentences in certain states.

After being independent of France in 1960, Burkina Faso did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws unlike the former British colonies on the continent.

The country is socially conservative and religious with less than 10% of people who follow no faith at all.

The new law of Burkina Faso complies with the increase in repression on LGBT relations through the continent.

Last year, neighboring Mali, an ally of Burkina Faso and also governed by a junta, adopted legislation criminalizing homosexuality.

There have been important reactions and criticisms against countries that have hardened their anti-gay position in recent years, notably the World Bank which had set up a ban on lending money to Uganda because of their anti-LGBT position.

The ban has since been lifted.

Nigeria is also one of the countries of the continent that have promulgated laws prohibiting homosexuality. The Parliament of Ghana adopted an anti-homosexuality bill last year, but the president of the time did not sign it.

From all countries, Uganda has adopted the most difficult provisions, making what it describes as “aggravated homosexuality” a capital offense and imposing life for homosexual consensual relations.