Tribunal Finally Probes Chad's Former Dictator For Crimes Against Humanity

Hissene Habre was Chad's dictator from 1982-1990.  Chad accused him of more than 40,000 political killings during his 8 year rule, and a court there has sentenced him to death in absentia.  Until now, he has enjoyed 22 years of impunity after fleeing to Senegal.  -AP



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africa | 19 December 2012 Last updated at 22:40 CET

Senegal MPs vote law on tribunal to try Chad's ex-leader

By AFP

 

A picture taken on January 17, 1987, shows then-Chad's president Hissene Habre in N'Djamena. By Dominique Faget (AFP/File)

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DAKAR (AFP) - Senegal's parliament on Wednesday adopted a law that will allow a special tribunal to try former Chadian president Hissene Habre who fled to Senegal after his fall in 1990 and faces charges of crimes against humanity.

Immediately welcomed by human rights activists, the new law "allows the president (Macky Sall) to ratify the agreement between the government of Senegal and the African Union (AU) regarding the creation of special African chambers inside Senegalese jurisdiction" to try Habre, APS news agency reported.

Senegal and the pan-African organisation signed an accord in August to establish the special tribunal, so the exiled former leader, who lives in Dakar, can be brought to justice.

Habre ruled Chad with an iron fist between 1982 and 1990, which led to accusations of crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture.

Non-government organisations have said his regime killed 40,000 people.

The agreement between the AU and Dakar allows for the creation of four special chambers -- for the collection of evidence and the prosecution, a jury court and an appeals court.

They will have African judges, including from Senegal, who will be named by the Addis Ababa-based African Union.

Wednesday's law marks the inescapable beginning of action against Habre, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement.

In eight months President Sall's government has done more to have the victims' tenacity rewarded than Senegal has shown in more than two decades, it added.

Sall was elected in March defeating Abdoulaye Wade who was in power for 12 years.

The African Union asked Senegal in June 2006 to bring Habre to justice but Wade refused to open proceedings.

In February 2009, Belgium seized the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which asked Dakar to open the case against Habre without further delay, or extradite him.

Brussels had issued a warrant for the arrest of the disgraced Chadian leader in 2005 under a law on universal jurisdiction.

Sall, who took office in April, has said he will not extradite Habre to Belgium and pledged to organise a trial in Senega