African Union puts Chad's 'tyrant' on public trial

On July 20, in the capital Dakar of Senegal, former dictator of the Republic of Chad Hissene Habre will be brought to trial on charges of crimes against humanity.

Former dictator of the Republic of Chad Hissene Habre appears at the court gate. (Source: AFP)

This is a historic event in Africa when for the first time a "tyrant" in a country on this continent was brought to public trial.

Former dictator Hissene Habre, once known as the “Africa’s Pinochet”, 72, has been imprisoned in Senegal since June 2013. According to regional and international human rights organizations, more than 40,000 people were killed in the brutal repression of opposition factions and political opponents during the dictator’s eight-year rule. Habre, who held power in the Central African country from mid-1982 until 1990, has been widely condemned and accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Several regional sources said the former dictator of Chad will be tried by a special tribunal set up by the African Union (AU) with the approval of host country Senegal. The tribunal will be headed by a Burkinabe chief justice. The special tribunal has been delayed for years because Senegal, where Habre has sought asylum since being deposed in 1990, has remained resistant to putting the dictator on trial in the country.

Currently, some African countries want to try Habre on the continent rather than transfer him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague, Netherlands, because they believe that the ICC is unfair to Africa and is under the influence of Western powers./.

(According to AFP/VN+)