The President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, on Friday, started an anti-gay diatribe, suggesting same-sex couples should be publicly stoned.
He also slammed Western countries for pressuring other countries to adopt LGBT rights or face losing aid.
Burundi, a devout Christian country in East Africa, has made homosexuality a crime since 2009, with prison terms of up to two years for consensual same-sex intercourse.
Marriage between same-sex couples was branded as an “abominable practice” by Ndayishimiye, a Catholic.
“Personally, I think if we see these kinds of individuals in Burundi, we should put them in a stadium and stone them, and it would not be a sin for those who do,” Ndayishimiye said in response to a question at a public event in the east of the country.
He also chastised Western countries for pressuring smaller countries to approve gay marriage or risk losing funding, adding, “Let them keep their help; let them keep it.”
Furthermore, he said Burundians living abroad who have “chosen the devil” and practice homosexuality should “not come back.”
Homosexuality is prohibited in several East African countries, which have a history of repression and stigmatization of LGBT individuals, which is sometimes backed by fundamentalist Muslims and Christians.
Uganda passed one of the world’s strongest anti-homosexuality laws in May, sparking anger among rights groups and Western governments.
Uganda passed one of the world’s strongest anti-homosexuality laws in May, sparking anger among rights groups and Western governments.
In retaliation, Washington announced that Uganda would be removed from a crucial trade agreement, put visa restrictions on select officials, and halted new financing for the country.
Uganda’s constitutional court is now hearing a challenge to the legislation.
Burundi prosecuted 24 people with “homosexual practices” in March of this year as part of a crackdown on same-sex partnerships.
The move followed Ndayishimiye’s appeal for residents to eradicate homosexuality and consider gay individuals as “pariahs.”
After the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza in June 2020, Ndayishimiye took control and has been praised by the world community for gradually reducing Burundi’s isolation under his predecessor’s chaotic and murderous administration.
Burundi prosecuted 24 people with “homosexual practices” in March of this year as part of a crackdown on same-sex partnerships.
The move followed Ndayishimiye’s appeal for residents to eradicate homosexuality and consider gay individuals as “pariahs.”
After the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza in June 2020, Ndayishimiye took control and has been praised by the world community for gradually reducing Burundi’s isolation under his predecessor’s chaotic and murderous administration.
However, he has failed to improve the country’s dreadful human rights record, and the country of 12 million people remains one of the world’s poorest.
