Burkina Faso Junta Adopts Anti-LGBTQ Code Amidst Rising Repression in Africa

Burkina Faso's junta has adopted a draft amended family code criminalizing homosexuality, consistent with similar actions in other African nations. The code, overseen by interim leader Ibrahim Traore, must pass parliamentary vote to be law. Africa has seen increased anti-LGBTQ measures, with recent stringent laws in Uganda and Ghana.

Burkina Faso's military junta has officially adopted a draft of an amended family code that seeks to criminalize homosexuality. The West African nation, part of a small group allowing same-sex relations, now moves towards stricter laws aligned with other African states where such acts are severely punished.

Under military rule since a series of coups in 2022, Burkina Faso joins a confederation with similar regimes in Mali and Niger. These governments have yet to hold elections and have distanced themselves from Western allies.

On Wednesday, Burkina Faso's interim military leader, Ibrahim Traore, endorsed the draft during a weekly council of ministers. Interim Justice Minister Edasso Rodrique Bayala confirmed, "From now on, homosexuality and related practices are prohibited and punishable by law."

To become law, the draft must receive parliamentary approval and be promulgated by Traore. Recent months have seen a significant clampdown on LGBTQ rights in Africa, with Uganda enacting one of the world's strictest anti-LGBTQ laws last year and Ghana intensifying its repression of LGBTQ people.

In a related incident, Brenda Biya, daughter of Cameroon's president, publicly came out as a lesbian and has since advocated for the abolishment of anti-homosexuality laws in her country.

(With inputs from agencies.)