THE HAGUE – The World Court yesterday accepted Senegal’s pledge to keep one of Africa’s most notorious former dictators in custody ahead of his trial in Dakar for human rights abuses.
Belgium had asked the panel formally known as the International Court of Justice to order Senegal either to keep former Chad president Hissene Habre under house arrest to prevent him from fleeing justice or to extradite him to Belgium, where survivors have filed a case against him.
However, the court ruled it did not need to issue an order as Senegal had ‘solemnly declared’ it would keep Habre under house arrest as it prepares to put him on trial.
‘Senegal gave a formal assurance on several occasions … that it will not allow Mr. Habre to leave its territory,’ court president Hisashi Owada said.
Habre is accused of widespread abuses, including killing thousands of political opponents during his eight-year reign in Chad during the 1980s. A court there convicted him in absentia last year of crimes against the state and sentenced him to death.
Belgian lawyer Eric David told the court in April that a Chadian investigation concluded Habre’s regime killed at least 3 780 political opponents, but added the figure likely represented only 10 per cent of the total.
Belgium welcomed the ruling and Senegal’s commitment to keep Habre under lock and key, but said in a statement released by the foreign ministry that it would keep pressing Dakar ‘to take the necessary steps to organize a trial as quickly as possible.’
Habre has lived in exile in an upscale villa in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, since rebels toppled his regime in 1990. For much of that time, he has been under house arrest, guarded by an elite military unit.
Senegal pledged in 2006 to bring him to justice, but its president Abdoulaye Wade warned last year he might free Habre if the international community did not foot the estimated $36 million cost of holding the trial.
Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch, who has long worked with victims of Habre’s regime, said the court made the right decision and urged the international community to help fund Habre’s trial, for which no date has been set yet.
‘The important thing now is to get moving,’ Brody said. ‘It has been 19 years since Hissene Habre has been in Senegal, it has been almost nine years since he was indicted for the first time.’
– Nampa-AP
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