Burundi President Evaristo Ndayishimiye called for violence against homosexuals at a press conference on Friday, claiming homosexuality is a “curse” in countries that tolerate it.
“If you want to bring a curse on the country, accept homosexuality,” Ndayishimiye told reporters during a question-and-answer session. report. (Related: Someone Made a Palestinian Pride Flag and It's Literally Painful to Look at)
“I even think that if you find people like this in Burundi, you should take them to the stadium and throw stones at them. And it is not a crime,” Ndayishimiye added, the newspaper reported. Mr. Ndayishimiye has been the President of Burundi since 2020. explained As a “devout Catholic.”
Burundi is a small landlocked country in east-central Africa. border Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Homosexuality has been criminalized in the country since 2009, according to the LGBT Rights Tracker. equal dex.Homosexual acts punishable by up to two years in prison, The Hill I got it..
According to a study conducted in 2014 and 2015. only 10 percent of Burundians expressed positive or ambivalent feelings about the idea of having a gay neighbor.
Burundi's president says homosexuals should be stoned https://t.co/xbyvyNlzGN
— The Hill (@thehill) January 1, 2024
In his speech, Ndayishimiye said legal acceptance of homosexuality was imported from Western countries and that local African values were hostile to the idea, Reuters noted.A gay rights activist in Burundi Said The New York Times reported that the president's speech would “exacerbate an already dangerous environment” for gay people in the country.
Burundi is not unique in its hostility towards homosexuality. According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, more than half of African countries have outlawed consensual same-sex sex, Reuters reported. I got it..
In May, for example, Uganda passed a law imposing the death penalty for contracting HIV through homosexual acts and long prison terms for other same-sex crimes. report.
US imposes visa restrictions on Uganda in protest of policy, says Reuters I got it..
Three other African states also carry the death penalty for homosexuality, the paper said.
