By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Burkina Faso has recorded its first known conviction for homosexuality following the enactment of a law criminalising same-sex sexual relations earlier this year, rights groups have confirmed.
According to the African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC), an individual identified as K.M. was sentenced to 24 months in prison, fined 2 million CFA francs (about $3,580), and ordered to be expelled from the country after serving the sentence.
The official charge was listed as “homosexuality and related practices.”
In a statement, the coalition expressed serious concern over the ruling, describing the new law as sweeping and vague. “This represents the first known enforcement of the 2025 criminalisation statute and marks a significant escalation in the legal persecution of LGBTQI+ people in Burkina Faso,” the organisation said, noting that the conviction targeted a vulnerable foreign national and included the additional penalty of expulsion.
Burkina Faso’s military-led government voted in September to ban consensual same-sex relations, imposing penalties of up to five years in prison and substantial fines. The legislation was approved by 71 members of the junta-controlled parliament and backed by President Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power following two coups in 2022.
While same-sex relationships were previously not explicitly outlawed in Burkina Faso, human rights organisations say the military takeover has coincided with a broader deterioration of civil liberties. Human Rights Watch has warned that the post-coup period has been marked by serious abuses and a worsening human rights situation.
Across Africa, dozens of countries continue to criminalise same-sex relations, with punishments ranging from fines to lengthy imprisonment and, in some cases, death sentences. While some nations have moved toward decriminalisation, others, including Burkina Faso, have enacted new laws tightening restrictions on LGBTQ+ communities.
