Former Chadian Head of State Convicted of Crimes Against Humanity by Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal (May 30, 2016) [1]
On May 30, 2016, the Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar, Senegal sentenced [3] former Chadian President Hissène Habré to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture. The charges concerned crimes committed in Chad during Habré’s tenure as president from 1982–1990. Chad’s National Commission of Enquiry estimated that Chadian security forces killed as many as 40,000 people during Habré’s rule. According to a human rights report [4], he was charged with crimes against humanity and torture as a member of a joint criminal enterprise and of war crimes based on command responsibility. Specific charges against him included murder; torture; rape; forced sexual slavery; unlawful transfer and unlawful confinement; and violence to life and physical well-being. Sixty-nine victims, twenty-three witnesses, and ten expert witnesses testified during the seven months of proceedings. The Extraordinary African Chambers were established jointly by the African Union and the government of Senegal in February 2013 to bring to justice those responsible for grave crimes committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990. According to a news source [5], this “is the first trial of a former African ruler in another African country, under the auspices of the African Union.” According to another news source [6], Habré has fifteen days to appeal the court’s judgment.