"On 1 September, Burkina Faso's minister of justice and human rights, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, announced an amendment to the Code of Persons and Family (CPF) which came into force in 1990, establishing for the first time a prison sentence of between two and five years and a fine for those who promote homosexuality. The amendment is a historic reform linked to a legal innovation, respect for cultural values and the will to build a Burkinabe family, says Bayala."
"The new law has sent shock waves through the country's queer community. Talking too much could complicate life for those of us who live here, says Jules*, a homosexual man living in Ouagadougou, the country's capital. It could harm us if suddenly our mutual support networks were cut off or if our meeting spaces were identified; we live hidden, but we live. Agathe*, a lesbian, says: I'm very stressed about the situation and the safety of LGBTQ+ people."
Burkina Faso amended the Code of Persons and Family to criminalize promotion of homosexuality, introducing prison sentences of two to five years and fines. The amendment, approved by President Ibrahim Traore and unanimously passed by the transitional legislative assembly, also allows expulsion of non-nationals for homosexual practices and links adoption to acceptance of national rules. Officials presented the reform as protecting cultural values and building a Burkinabe family. The law has generated fear across LGBTQ+ communities, prompting social withdrawal, concerns about health-centre access and reporting by medical staff, and risks to mutual support networks and meeting spaces.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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