Burkina Faso Restores Death Penalty for Terrorism and Other Serious Crimes

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty for terrorism, espionage, treason, and several other offenses.

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty for terrorism, espionage, treason, and several other offenses.

The government says the tougher penalties aim to strengthen its response to armed groups.

The government says the tougher penalties aim to strengthen its response to armed groups.

The reform comes amid persistent insecurity, with defense and security allocated nearly 25% of state resources.

The reform comes amid persistent insecurity, with defense and security allocated nearly 25% of state resources.

Burkina Faso adopted a new Penal Code on October 20, reinstating the death penalty for several offenses, including terrorism, espionage, treason, and the murder of a parent. The punishment also applies to the importation of expired or prohibited products that cause deaths. The revised code was initially approved by the Council of Ministers on December 4, 2025, before its adoption by the People's Legislative Assembly (ALP).

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said the reform aims, in particular, to strengthen penalties for terrorist acts. According to the minister, armed groups had exploited provisions of the law to recruit members, arguing that those arrested would primarily face life imprisonment.

"We have therefore revised the legal framework so that all acts related to terrorism, whether committed as a principal offender or an accomplice, are punishable by death," Bayala said. The same penalty applies to perpetrators and accomplices of espionage or treason, as well as those involved in importing expired or banned products when those products cause fatalities.

The government also plans to raise public awareness of the new provisions, including through translations into national languages.

A Legal Reform Amid a Continuing Security Crisis

The new Penal Code comes at a time when Burkina Faso continues to face persistent insecurity caused by attacks from jihadist groups. The Global Terrorism Index 2025, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranked Burkina Faso as the country most affected by terrorism worldwide for the second consecutive year.

In April 2026, the authorities announced a plan to regain control of border areas by 2030. The strategy forms part of broader efforts to secure the country's territory, including coordination with Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso's partners in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). These security priorities are also reflected in public spending. Burkina Faso's 2026 national budget allocates CFA707.89 billion ($1.2 billion) to defense and security, according to official figures from the initial Finance Law. That amount represents approximately 24.87% of the government's own resources.

Burkina Faso previously abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes under the Penal Code adopted in May 2018, during the presidency of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. The country's last recorded execution dates back to 1988.

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