DAKAR, senegal — The United Nations’ highest court Friday ordered Senegal to prosecute or extradite former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, who has lived in luxury in this seaside capital for more than two decades amid accusations that he ordered political opponents to be tortured or killed.
A truth commission in the Central African nation of Chad has accused Habre of more than 40,000 political killings during his eight-year rule, and a court there has sentenced him to death in absentia.
Human-rights activists heralded the International Court of Justice’s move, saying that the survivors of Habre’s 1982-90 rule have waited long enough to see their day in court. Many fear time could run out to try the 69-year-old former ruler.
“Today’s decision is a huge victory for Hissene Habre’s victims who have been fighting for justice for 21 years. This tenacity and perseverance has paid off today,” said Reed Brody, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch who has pushed for Habre’s prosecution for 13 years. “It’s also a very strong message to the new authorities in Senegal that they have to move without further delay to fulfill their promise to bring Hissene Habre to justice at long last.”
The former ruler sought refuge in this western African nation after being ousted from power in Chad, keeping a low-profile while living in a posh villa in an upscale neighborhood.
He has since become a symbol of impunity in Africa, living freely in Senegal despite an indictment on charges of crimes against humanity.
In 2005, Belgium indicted Habre based on complaints filed there by survivors of his regime. Brussels then brought Senegal before the court in The Hague after Senegalese authorities failed to extradite him. Habre’s Senegalese-based lawyer dismissed the international court’s ruling as a “new kind of judicial imperialism.”
Senegal has dragged its feet for years, arguing it needs outside help to fund the case.
Critics say that Habre used money from his country’s treasury to buy influence and protection in Senegal. A new Senegalese president was inaugurated this year, and Macky Sall’s government has promised to push ahead with proceedings against Habre.
The International Court of Justice ruled that Senegal had breached the U.N.’s torture convention by failing to prosecute Habre. The decision adds legal weight to the international torture convention, as the case marked the first time it had been tested in the U.N.’s highest judicial organ
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