Chad’s former dictator Hissène Habré was forced into the dock after refusing to attend the resumption of his trial in Senegal on Monday for war crimes and other atrocities.
The 72-year-old – once backed by France and the United States as a bulwark against Libya’s then leader Muammar Ghaddafi – is on trial over actions under his regime from 1982 until he was ousted in 1990. He is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture during a blood-soaked reign.
Gberdao Gustave Kam, the Burkinabe president of the Extraordinary African Chambers, suspended the hearing before it got underway after hearing that Habré, who was in the building, was refusing to attend.
Dressed in his trademark robe and a white turban, Habré was eventually escorted by force into the court, which he dismissed as an “illegal organisation” before shouting “down with imperialism”.
“At the moment, it is judging you, whether you are consenting or not,” retorted Kam, before ordering that the list of witnesses be read out.
The proceedings were interrupted by several interjections from Habré and the expulsion of several of his supporters.
Habré led a one-party regime in Chad between 1982 and 1990, having taken control of the state via a coup. During this time it is alleged that some 40,000 Chadians were killed under a regime of brutal repression of opponents and rival ethnic groups Habré perceived as a threat to his grip on the Sahel nation, and 200 000 more systematically tortured in a crackdown against those who opposed his rule. A truth commission held in Chad in 1992 also detailed periodic instances of ethnic cleansing against several indigenous groups.
Reports highlight that much of these acts were committed by a secretive police force known as the Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS). Amongst the shocking forms of torture documented are spraying gas into the face of victims, burning with incandescent objects, forced swallowing of water, and forcing detainees mouths onto the exhaust’s of vehicles.
Habré refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the Dakar prosecution, the first time a despot from one African country has been called to account in another. He was similarly forced into the dock on July 20 when his trial — a landmark in African judicial history – got underway.
The court has appointed three attorneys to defend Habré after he refused legal representation. It adjourned in July to give the lawyers time to prepare the defence, but Habré wants nothing to do with them.
After he was overthrown, Habré fled to Senegal, where he was arrested in June 2013 and has since been in custody.
Delayed for years, the trial sets an historic precedent as African leaders accused of atrocities were previously tried in international courts.
Reed Brody, counsel at Human Rights Watch who has worked with the victims of Habré’s regime since 1999, said it was clear that the court was “fed up with Hissène Habré’s antics”.
“Hissène Habré can make all the noise all he wants, but he doesn’t get to decide whether he should be tried, or if the victims get justice,” said Brody, who was present in court.
A small group of family members and victims of the regime had gathered to see Habré brought to trial.
“I am quite calm. The whole world, and in particular Chadians, have been waiting for this trial,” Clement Abaifouta, of the Association of Victims of Crimes of the Regime of Hissène Habré, told journalists.
Chadian lawyer Jacqueline Moudeina, a spokeswoman for the legal team representing the victims, said the prosecution was “confident”.
“Habré has decided once again to choose theatrics but this attitude is not honourable and will not stop justice,” she said.
Human Rights Watch has hailed the trial as a “milestone moment” for justice on the African continent.
