Burkina Faso Passes Law Criminalizing Homosexual Acts
Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament passed a bill banning homosexual acts, a year after the cabinet adopted a draft of an amended family code criminalising homosexuality. The law, unanimously approved, imposed prison sentences of two to five years and fines, with foreign nationals facing deportation. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala also said that foreign nationals caught breaking the law would also be deported. Until now, Burkina Faso had no specific laws targeting homosexuals, although LGBT+ communities have long been forced to live discreetly. 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. The international advocacy group Ilga World has voiced concern that such crackdowns risk entrenching discrimination and undermining basic human rights.
Ghana President Fires Chief Justice After Misconduct Probe
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President John Mahama fired Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo after reviewing the report by a committee set up to investigate alleged misconduct. The Chief Justice was suspended from office in April 2025. “After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office,” a statement issued by the Minister for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said. During the proceedings, the committee said it received about 10,000 pages of “documentary exhibits from both sides”. Torkonoo is the first sitting chief justice to be investigated and removed from office. In April, the opposition New Patriotic Party described her suspension as a political witch hunt.
UNICEF Warns of Looming Global Education Crisis as Funding Plummets
UNICEF warned that steep global education funding cuts could leave 6 million more children out of school by 2026, around one-third of them in humanitarian settings. Official Development Assistance for education was projected to fall by U.S.$3.2 billion, a 24% drop from 2023, with nearly 80% of the reductions coming from just three donor governments. The number of out-of-school children worldwide could rise from 272 million to 278 million, with West and Central Africa (1.9 million) and the Middle East and North Africa (1.4 million) among the hardest hit. Côte d’Ivoire and Mali faced enrolment declines. Primary education was expected to lose a third of its funding, deepening the learning crisis and cutting children’s lifetime earnings by an estimated US$164 billion. Humanitarian programmes such as school feeding and refugee education face sharp cutbacks, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, child labor, and trafficking. The UNICEF estimates that there are 290 million children who will be affected, including students who are enrolled . It urged donors to provide priority assistance to the least developed countries, safeguard humanitarian funding, and focus on the foundational aspects of education.
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Migrant Deaths and Disappearances Surge on Perilous Horn of Africa Route
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that migrant movements increased sharply in the first half of 2025 despite a rise in deaths and disappearances along the perilous Eastern Route linking the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. In Djibouti, the most casualties have been reported in the Obock desert as a result of extreme heat and forced disembarkation. Women and girls faced heightened risks, with their numbers more than doubling in Djibouti. The report comes in the wake of a tragic incident in which more than 60 migrants drowned when a boat carrying about 157 people capsized off the coast of Yemen during rough weather. Ethiopian officials have repeatedly warned that irregular migration and human trafficking are devastating lives while posing a growing threat to national security.
Zimbabwe Imposes Ban on Tinted Vehicle Windows Following Rise in Crimes
Authorities announced a nationwide ban on tinted windows for all private vehicles and public transport, except for government VIP and security cars, effective immediately. Provincial Affairs and Devolution Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti said the decision was prompted by incidents involving mushikashika operators, armed robbers, and the recent rape of a grade seven girl in an omnibus. He said that no commuter omnibus would be allowed to operate with tinted windows and warned that violators would have their vehicles impounded. Muguti urged motorists to remove tints that prevent police from seeing drivers or passengers.
