Military Rule Established Following Two Coups
Promises of Normalization Unfulfilled as Instability Deepens
Over 2 Million Displaced Amid Ongoing Violence and Humanitarian Crisis
The military, which has ruled Burkina Faso since the 2022 coup, has unanimously passed a law criminalizing homosexuality. On September 2 (local time), international media outlets such as AP reported that all 71 non-elected members of Burkina Faso's transitional parliament unanimously approved an amendment to the family law that includes provisions for punishing homosexuality. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced through state media RTB, "This law stipulates prison sentences of two to five years and fines," adding, "If a foreigner violates the law, they may also be deported."
Burkina Faso is the 23rd country among 54 African nations to criminalize homosexuality. This is analyzed as part of the recent trend within the African continent to exclude sexual minorities. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Burkina Faso is the 23rd country among 54 African nations to criminalize homosexuality. This move is analyzed as following the recent trend across the African continent of excluding sexual minorities. In Mali, a close ally of Burkina Faso, a law was passed at the end of last year defining homosexuality as "acts related to obscene exposure" and prescribing prison sentences of up to two years. Ghana and Uganda have also tightened their anti-homosexuality laws in recent years, raising concerns in the international community. In particular, Uganda, where repression of homosexuality is the harshest in Africa, imposes penalties of up to life imprisonment and even the death penalty for same-sex relationships. Meanwhile, countries such as South Africa, Botswana, and Angola have implemented measures to decriminalize or protect LGBTQ+ individuals.
Military Rule After Two Coups
Burkina Faso, which gained independence from France in 1960, continues to experience political and social instability under the rule of an authoritarian military regime following the rise of Islamic extremist armed groups. Since 2015, armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have taken control, resulting in the deaths of thousands and forcing more than two million people to flee over nearly a decade. Amid this turmoil, two military coups occurred in 2022, leading to the current military rule under Captain Ibrahim Traore.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, the interim president of the transitional government in Burkina Faso, which was taken over by the military in the 2022 coup. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Contrary to the military government's promise to normalize the country, the situation in Burkina Faso has continued to deteriorate. According to a BBC report in August, the Islamic militant group JNIM carried out over 280 attacks in just the first half of this year-nearly double the number during the same period last year. In this context, Captain Traore has revealed ambitions to stay in power long-term. Last year, he announced a five-year extension of his rule and even expressed his intention to run in the next presidential election scheduled for 2029.
The international community has expressed concern about the military regime's suppression of political activities and freedom of expression. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has described Burkina Faso as "one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises," stating that about 5.9 million people are facing humanitarian emergencies this year. According to the International Rescue Committee's "2025 Emergency Watchlist," there are approximately 2.1 million internally displaced people in Burkina Faso.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
