Burkina Faso's unelected transitional parliament has passed a bill banning homosexual acts, a little over a year after a draft of an amended family code that criminalised homosexuality was adopted by the country's cabinet.
The new measure, which received unanimous support on Monday, imposes punishments of up to five years in jail, marking a continuation of a broader crackdown on same-sex relationships across the continent.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state-run media that, the law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines. He added that foreign nationals caught breaking the law would also face deportation.
The next step for the legislation is obtaining the signature of the country's military leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré, the Reuters news agency reports.
Capt Traoré seized power in 2022, after forcing another military ruler, Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba, from office.
The Sahel nation had previously been among just 22 out of 54 African countries that allowed same-sex relations, which are punishable by death or lengthy prison terms in some states.
Previously, Burkina Faso did not inherit anti-homosexuality laws after gaining independence from France in 1960, unlike many of Britain's former colonies.
The country is socially conservative and religious, with less than 10% of its population believed to not follow any faith.
Burkina Faso's new law aligns with increasing crackdowns on LGBT relationships across Africa. Last year, neighboring Mali adopted similar legislation criminalizing homosexuality.
There has been significant backlash and criticism against countries that have tightened their anti-gay stance, including the World Bank, which banned loans to Uganda due to its anti-LGBT stance.
Nigeria and Ghana are among other African nations that have enacted anti-homosexuality laws in recent years, with Uganda imposing particularly severe penalties, including capital punishment for what it terms aggravated homosexuality.
