A small court in Senegal just sent a big message to African dictators. Last Monday, the Extraordinary African Chambers court sentenced former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré to life in prison for crimes against humanity. His regime carried out unspeakable brutalities during his reign from 1982 to 1990, including torture, arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances of political opponents. According to a Chadian Truth Commission report, some 40,000 people were killed by the dictator, dubbed “Africa’s Pinochet.”
Habré was tried in Senegal because he fled there after he was deposed; the special court was created through an agreement with the African Union. The conviction by the panel of three judges in Dakar consequently sent a powerful warning to human rights abusers on the African continent: Impunity for heinous crimes against humanity is no longer guaranteed outside the country where they occur. The ruling represents the first time that an African Union-backed domestic court has tried and convicted a former leader of another African country. It’s a vindication of the efforts of the survivors of Habré’s violence, who campaigned tirelessly for almost 25 years for justice, with the support of Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups. Their courage and tenacity should inspire other victims of human rights abuses to seek justice.
The United States has reason to be embarrassed by the Habré saga. The former dictator was a U.S. ally against Moammar Gaddafi’s Libya, and his regime received millions of dollars in aid. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged the United States’ checkered past with Chad in a statement, saying that the case provides “an opportunity for the United States to reflect” and learn. That’s true, and there are places in Africa where Kerry could immediately apply the lessons — the oppressive U.S.-backed regimes of Ethiopia and Egypt, for example.
The completion of the Senegal trial comes as the International Criminal Court continues to face criticism from African governments and the African Union, which accuse it of unfairly targeting African states for prosecution. But the successful prosecution of Habré far from negates the need for the International Criminal Court. Instead, it highlights the importance of the principle of universal jurisdiction — under which war criminals can be held accountable anywhere.
African states still need to strengthen domestic legal mechanisms that would serve to hold human rights abusers accountable for their crimes. The Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic is one positive example; created last year by interim president Catherine Samba-Panza, the court aims to investigate and prosecute human rights violations. Such efforts deserve financial and logistical support from the African Union, the United States and the United Nations.
The 73-year-old Habré, who was dragged into court kicking and screaming at the beginning of the proceedings, eventually fell silent as he was forced to listen to the narrative testimonies of the survivors of his brutality. That he will spend the rest of his years in a jail cell instead of cozy exile is a victory not just for Africa but also for the cause of justice around the world.
