Burkina Faso's parliament has unanimously approved a law criminalizing homosexuality, with offenders facing two to five years in prison and fines, reflecting the country's conservative stance.

The law is part of broader reforms to family and nationality laws, including stricter conditions for foreigners to obtain citizenship and recognition of religious and customary marriages.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala described the law as a move to modernize family law and condemned homosexual acts as 'bizarre behavior,' despite international criticism.

While the legislation has local support, human rights organizations criticize it for suppressing personal freedoms and violating international human rights treaties.

Since taking power in September 2022 through a military coup, President Ibrahim Traoré has promoted a pan-African, anti-Western stance, aligning Burkina Faso with other regional leaders rejecting Western influence.

Traoré's government, which has extended its rule without elections, is part of the Alliance of Sahel States, along with Mali, which passed a similar anti-LGBT law in October 2024, emphasizing sovereignty over Western norms.

Burkina Faso has been under military rule since the 2022 coup, with critics accusing the junta of human rights abuses, including arrests of critics and journalists, and suppressing dissent.

The government’s authoritarian approach is reinforced by amendments to its charter, allowing the military-led regime to stay in power without elections until at least 2029.

President Traoré, who leads a regime aligned with Russia, supports the new anti-LGBT law as part of the transitional government’s policies, despite widespread international criticism.

The law's passage highlights ongoing global debates over LGBTQ rights, with many African countries, including Burkina Faso, adopting conservative policies amid regional and international criticism.

Despite international condemnation, the law remains popular domestically, with authorities framing homosexuality as 'behavior imported from abroad' and reflecting deep-rooted cultural and religious conservatism.

Officials plan to promote awareness of the new legislation through a public campaign, emphasizing its role within broader reforms to family and citizenship laws.