Burkina Faso’s military rulers will bring back the death penalty, which was abolished in 2018, the country’s Council of Ministers announced Thursday.

“This draft penal code reinstates the death penalty for a number of offences, including high treason, acts of terrorism, acts of espionage, among others,” stated the information service of the Burkinabe government.
Burkina Faso last carried out an execution in 1988, according to Amnesty International.

The death penalty was then abolished 30 years later under the civilian government of Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
Burkina has been led by Captain Ibrahim Traore since a 2022 military coup.

Since taking power, Traore has pursued anti-Western policies and distanced the country from former colonial ruler France, while strengthening ties with Russia and Iran.
“The adoption of this draft law is part of the broader reforms in the sector aimed at delivering justice that meets the profound aspirations of the people,” said Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala in the government statement.

The law, which must be approved by the Transitional Legislative Assembly created by the junta, also penalises “the promotion and practices of homosexuality and related acts”, according to the government.

The west African nation also adopted a law in September targeting “perpetrators of homosexual practices” with sentences of up to five years in prison.