Burkina Faso’s Legislative Assembly (ALT) has passed a new Code of Persons and the Family that for the first time criminalizes homosexual and similar practices.
The legislation, adopted on Monday, introduces penalties ranging from two to five years in prison along with fines for those convicted.
It also provides for the expulsion of foreign nationals found guilty of repeat offenses.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala described the measure as a major change in the country’s legal framework, noting that no previous law explicitly sanctioned homosexual practices.
The new code forms part of broader reforms to family and personal law and represents a significant shift in Burkina Faso’s approach to social regulation.
