Burkina Faso Military Government Leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore (Photo courtesy of Getty Images).

MIAMI – Homosexuality is now banned in the West African nation of Burkina Faso.

According to LGBTO Nation, the country passed a new law which punishes gay people with years in prison.

The law went into effect immediately after members and leaders of the government approved the ban.

“The law provides for a prison sentence of between two and five years as well as fines,” said Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala. “If a person is a perpetrator of homosexual or similar practices, all the bizarre behavior, they will go before the judge.”

Previously, the predominantly Muslim nation never criminalized same-sex relationships along with the 22 of 54 states.

But now it is banning homosexuality in the country as 71 unelected members supported the move, wanting a wider set of family and citizenship law reforms popularized through an awareness campaign.

The bill was initially approved by the military government’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, last year. Traoré has been shifting the country’s focus away from its close relationship with France and toward Russia.