Gay rights activists have condemned Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's threat to behead homosexuals

Recently, he told a political rally that gay people had 24 hours to leave the country. He promised "stricter laws than Iran" on homosexuality and said he would "cut off the head" of any gay person found in the African nation. Correspondents say a number of homosexual men have fled to Gambia from neighbouring Senegal after a crackdown there following arrests at a "gay wedding" in February. Both countries are predominantly Muslim and President Jammeh cultivates an image of being a devout Muslim. In February last year, he was condemned by campaigners when he claimed to have cured people of HIV and AIDS. His "cure" was a mixture of herbs that patients ate and spread on their bodies.