Burundi’s President, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has stated that gays “should be stoned.”
In response to a reporter’s query, Mr Ndayishimiye, a devout Catholic, stated that wealthy nations “should keep” their help if it comes with the duty to provide homosexuals rights.
In the past, some African leaders have accused donor nations of attempting to impose their beliefs on the continent.
In Burundi, homosexual intercourse is prohibited and punished by up to two years in prison.
In an interview with the BBC last month, Ghanaian Catholic Cardinal Peter Turkson stated that homosexuality should not be considered a crime and that people should be encouraged to better understand the matter.
However, his beliefs are diametrically opposed to those of many conservative Christians on the continent. More than 30 African countries have made gay intercourse illegal.
President Ndayishimiye told journalists at a news conference that God was opposed to homosexuality, adding that it was no longer an issue in Burundi.
He had been questioned about purported Western pressure to respect LGBT rights.
“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.
Mr Ndayishimiye compared homosexuality to “choosing between Satan and God.”
“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,” the president added.
In an unusual court case in August, seven persons were sentenced to one to two years in jail after being found guilty of homosexual conduct, which they disputed.
Homosexual intercourse is also prohibited in several other nations in the area, including Uganda, which toughened its statute in May to include the death sentence for “aggravated homosexuality.” This includes having homosexual intercourse with someone under the age of 18 or being infected with a life-long sickness like HIV.
The additional steps prompted the World Bank to suspend future loans to Uganda, and the United States to withdraw Uganda from a preferential trade pact and put visa restrictions on senior officials.
Ugandan human rights organizations are actively suing to overturn the law.
Ghanaian lawmakers are also proposing legislation that would make identifying as LGBT a three-year prison term. People that advocate for LGBT rights could also face up to 10 years in jail.