Chad's Hissène Habré removed from Senegal court as scuffle breaks out
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Version 0 of 1. The former Chadian leader Hissène Habré was this morning pushed and shoved after a scuffle broke out at the opening in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, of his trial for human rights abuses and torture during his eight-year rule. Habré, looking frail and wearing a traditional white turban to cover most of his face, had been sitting at the front of the court before the proceedings began. He was heard to shout, “Down with the imperialists! African traitors!” Then a group of supporters raced to where he was sitting, clashing with Habré’s alleged victims. Senegalese security forces pulled him from the crowd and in the resulting fracas removed him from the court, which went on to open without him. Related: Will Hissène Habré's victims in Chad finally get justice? | Celeste Hicks Representatives of victims’ groups appeared stunned that he had appeared at all, having expected him to simply refuse to attend. “After 25 years, to see him again – it was a very emotional experience,” said Clément Abaifouta, president of the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré, who as a prisoner claims he was forced to dig graves for many of his fellow inmates. “But now I see that I am in the sun and he is in the shade. For us, the victims, this has been an important occasion. All of the pain and hurt came back to me as I listened to the speeches.” “To see him here and to have this day in court is a real joy for all of us,” added Jacqueline Moudeina, a Chadian lawyer who is assisting with the prosecution. “We’re no longer scared of him.” Habré is being tried by a special court set up by the African Union, within the Senegalese court system – the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC). He’s charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture during his rule from 1982-1990. In 1992 a Chadian truth commission found evidence of up to 40,000 victims of abuse and torture during his presidency, many of whom died. Habré is accused of having direct knowledge of the activities of the notorious secret police, the DDS (Direction de la Documentation et de la Sécurité) and ordering the targeting of ethnic groups such as the Hadjerai and Zaghawa. Shortly after Habré was removed from the chamber, his defence team walked out, saying they did not recognise the legality of the court. “This is a masquerade by the international community – it’s a farce,” said Ciré Cledor, who described himself as Habré’s “former” lawyer. Related: Around Lake Chad: Boko Haram's legacy of ruin and fear – in pictures “The fact that he does not want to take part does not change the historic nature of this trial,” said Reed Brody, counsel with Human Rights Watch, which has been assisting Habré’s victims’ groups since 1999. This was the first time an African head of state will be tried by another African country. It’s also the first time a universal jurisdiction (pdf) case has proceeded to trial in Africa. The battle to bring Habré to justice has spanned some 25 years, since he was ousted in a rebellion led by Chad’s current president, Idriss Déby Itno, and fled to Senegal in exile. Under the previous president, Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal dragged its heels on commitments to prosecute Habré, and failed to act upon requests for his extradition to face charges in Belgium. The breakthrough came when Macky Sall was elected president in 2012. Habré denies being responsible for hundreds of deaths. The trial is expected to last several months. |