Burkina Faso’s parliament has unanimously passed a law banning homosexuality, with offenders facing prison terms of two to five years, state broadcaster RTB reported late Monday.

The amended family code, first approved by the military government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré more than a year ago, was formally adopted by lawmakers on Monday. The new legislation places Burkina Faso among more than half of Africa’s 54 countries where homosexuality is criminalized, with penalties ranging from prison sentences to the death penalty in some states.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, speaking on state television, confirmed that the law takes immediate effect. He described homosexual acts as “bizarre behavior” and framed the legislation as a move to uphold “marriage and family values” in the co

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