Chad: Senegal Backtracks on Habre Extradition

11 July 2011

Eleven years after being indicted on charges arising out of the torture and killing of his political opponents, Chad's former dictator, Hissan Habré, is set to stay in Senegal and continue to evade justice.

This is the outcome of a flurry of activity over the weekend, after Senegal first announced Habre would be sent home to stand trial, then back-tracked on the decision after the United Nations and human rights groups protested.

The BBC reports that Senegal's Foreign Minister, Madicke Niang, said on Sunday the government had reversed its decision. He reportedly told Senegal's state broadcaster, RTS, that Senegal would now hold talks with the UN and European Union to try to resolve the impasse.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, had raised concerns that Habré might face torture in Chad and urged Senegal to review its decision.

Senegal has long avoided prosecuting Habré.

A Belgian judge indicted Habré in 2005 but Senegal refused to extradite him. In July 2006, the African Union called on Senegal to prosecute Habré “on behalf of Africa.”

Human Rights Watch reported that ahead of the recent AU summit in Malabo, the African Union Commission prepared "an unusually blunt report" complaining of Senegal's "marginal progress" in the case and calling on the summit to consider "options other than that of Senegal."

In July 2010, 117 groups from 25 African countries denounced the "interminable political and legal soap opera" to which the victims had been subjected over 20 years.

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