Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye has said that it would not be a crime to stone LGBTQ members in his country.
While responding to a question on the matter during a public event that was broadcast on the country’s local channel, Ndayishimiye, who is Catholic, insinuated that LGBTQ is satanic.
“For me, I think that if we find these people in Burundi they should be taken to stadiums and be stoned, and doing so would not be a crime,” he said.
“If you want to choose Satan now go and live in those countries [in the West] and I think those who strive to go there want to acquire those habits, they should remain there and never bring them to us,” he added.
The president further called out the Western countries that pressing other countries to allow gay rights lest they lose their aid.
“Let them keep their help, let them keep it,” he said.
Homosexuality is illegal in Burundi since 2009 and can attract a jail term of up to two years.
24 people were charged with homosexual practices in March this year in Burundi.
In August, 7 others were sentenced to between one and two years to prison after they were found guilty of engaging in homosexual acts. They had however denied the charges.
Homosexuality is unacceptable in most African countries.
In May this year, Uganda attracted criticism from Western countries and US for imposing the harshest laws on the practices. One of the controversial laws was including a death penalty to anyone engaging in homosexual practices with someone below the age of 18 years or in case where one is infected with lifelong diseases such as HIV.
The new law saw World Bank halt loans to the country and US eject Uganda from a trade agreement as well as imposing visa restrictions on the government’s officials.
