Burundi’s President Calls For Gay People To Be Stoned In Public

LGBTQ+ members need to be careful in these African nations.

Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye is not a fan of marriage equality.

During a press conference, the East African nation leader described gay marriage as an “abominable practice” and feels gay people should be stoned in public. The conservative Catholic politician is a strong opponent of LGBTQ+ rights.

“If you want to attract a curse to the country, accept homosexuality,” Ndayishimiye said. “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.”

Marriage equality doesn’t exist in the nation, along with minimal protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex marriages are banned and punishable by up to two years in jail.

The leader went as far as to say those who embrace homosexual lifestyles have “chosen Satan” and have no home in Burundi. “If you want to choose Satan, now go and live in those tolerant Western countries, 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 said.

In February 2023, close to 25 people were arrested for suspicion of “homosexual practices.”

Activists spoke out anonymously about members of an HIV support group who were arrested while visiting Gitega. “They are accused of homosexual practices and of inciting homosexual practices among adolescent boys and girls to whom they give money,” the activist said.

Police allegedly found condoms and marketing collateral advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, which was used as evidence for their arrest.

Burundi’s laws against gay people are minimal compared to other African nations. According to Reuters, in May 2023, the Ugandan government passed legislation that carries the death sentence for some same-sex offenses and jail sentences for others. Ghana proposed legislation encouraging citizens to out members of the LGBTQ+ community, putting a person at risk of being attacked, kidnapped, or even lynched.

Under Kenya’s Family Protection Bill, intercourse between persons of the same sex is punishable by at least 10 years in jail, while “aggravated homosexuality,” including gay sex with a minor, disabled person, or when a terminal disease is passed on, brings the death penalty.