DAKAR, July 11 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso’s military junta has approved a draft amendment to the family code that criminalizes homosexuality. Previously, Burkina Faso was one of the 22 African countries that permitted same-sex relations, contrasting with the severe penalties, including death or lengthy prison terms, enforced in other states on the continent.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Since two successive coups in 2022, Burkina Faso has been under military rule and is now part of a confederation with neighboring Mali and Niger, both also under junta control. These interim governments have not held elections and have distanced themselves from traditional Western allies.
In a statement on Wednesday, the junta announced the adoption of the amended family code draft during a weekly council of ministers meeting led by interim military leader Ibrahim Traore. Interim Justice Minister Edasso Rodrique Bayala stated, “From now on, homosexuality and related practices are prohibited and punishable by law.”>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE
For the new law to take effect, it must pass a parliamentary vote and be promulgated by Traore.
In the past 14 months, there has been an increasing crackdown on LGBTQ rights across Africa. Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in May last year, while Ghana’s parliament passed stricter anti-LGBTQ legislation in February. Last month, Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroon’s president, publicly came out as a lesbian and has since advocated for the repeal of anti-homosexuality laws in her country.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE
