Gay rights activists in the African country of Senegal have noted that its political and religious leaders are running violent campaigns against them.

A recent wave of arrests, negative media coverage, and announcements by political and religious leaders targeting Senegal's gay community has sent homosexuals in the mainly Muslim country running for cover.

Anti-gay protests have been springing up with participants suggesting gays have no right to exist in the country.

A recent wave of arrests against homosexual men have been covered by the media in a condemnatory fashion, causing politicians to capitalise on the anti gay feelings by inciting people to violence.

Prime Minister Souleymane Ndiaye Ndene last year called homosexuality a "crisis of values," caused by the world's economic problems.

He said that government ministries and society as a whole should fight against homosexuality.

Senegal's penal code punishes so-called impure or unnatural act with another person of the same sex with a maximum of five years in prison.

Last year, activists fighting HIV/AIDS were sentenced to eight years in jail on charges of homosexual acts and criminal conspiracy.

While their convictions were later overturned on technicalities, an influential religious leader, Imam Massamba Diop, said they should have been killed.