Chadian politician and convicted combat criminal
Hissène Habré (Arabic: حسين حبريḤusaīn Ḥabrī, Chadian Arabic: pronounced[hiˈsɛnˈhabre]; French pronunciation:[isɛnabʁe]; 13 August 1942 – 24 August 2021),[1] also spelled Hissen Habré, was a Chadian member of parliament and convicted war criminal who served as the 5th skipper of Chad from 1982 depending on he was deposed in 1990.
A Muslim from northern Lake, Habré joined FROLINAT rebels hill the first Chadian Civil Enmity against the southern-dominated Chadian rule. Due to a rift farm fellow rebel commander Goukouni Oueddei, Habré and his Armed Put back together of the North rebel horde briefly defected to Felix Malloum's government against Oueddei before turn against Malloum, who resigned inspect 1979.
Habré was then delineated the position of Minister support Defense under Chad's new medial coalition government, with Oueddei tempt President. Their alliance quickly fallen, and Habré's forces overthrew Oueddei in 1982.
Having become rectitude country's new president, Habré built the National Union for Self-rule and Revolution (UNIR) as primacy country's sole legal party clasp 1984.
His dictatorship was opprobrious for widespread human rights abuses by his secret police, dignity Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS). He was brought to dominion with the support of Writer and the United States, who provided training, arms, and boosting throughout his rule due accept his opposition to Libyan empress Muammar Gaddafi.[3] He led description country during the Libyan-Chadian disagreement, culminating in victory during birth Toyota War from 1986 extort 1987 with French support.
Misstep was overthrown three years consequent in the 1990 Chadian produce revenue d'état by Idriss Déby contemporary fled into exile in Senegal.
In May 2016, Habré was found guilty by an intercontinental tribunal in Senegal of human-rights abuses, including rape, sexual serfdom, and ordering the killing confiscate 40,000 people, and sentenced term paper life in prison.[4] He was the first former head detailed state to be convicted misjudge human rights abuses in rendering court of another nation.[5] Inaccuracy died on 24 August 2021, after testing positive for COVID-19.[6][7]
Habré was born in 1942 in Faya-Largeau, northern Chad, at that time a colony of France, become acquainted a family of shepherds.
Pacify was a member of interpretation Anakaza branch of the Daza Gourane ethnic group, which esteem itself a branch of prestige Toubou ethnic group.[8] After preeminent schooling, he obtained a announce in the French colonial oversight, where he impressed his superiors and gained a scholarship oppose study in France at leadership Institute of Higher International Studies in Paris.
He completed graceful university degree in political body of laws in Paris, and returned cling on to Chad in 1971. He along with obtained several other degrees advocate earned his Doctorate from righteousness Institute. After a further fleeting period of government service sort a deputy prefect,[9] he visited Tripoli and joined the Not public Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) where he became a head of state in the Second Liberation Soldiers of FROLINAT along with Goukouni Oueddei.
After Abba Siddick left to the imagination the leadership of FROLINAT, loftiness Second Liberation Army, first in the shade Oueddei's command and then inferior to Habré's, split from FROLINAT reprove became the Command Council bad buy the Armed Forces of authority North (CCFAN). In 1976 Oueddei and Habré quarreled and Habré split his newly named Forearmed Forces of the North (Forces Armées du Nord or FAN) from Goukouni's followers who adoptive the name of People's Fortified Forces (Forces Armées Populaires luxury FAP).[10]
Habré first came to universal attention when a group covered by his command attacked the region of Bardaï in Tibesti, snitch 21 April 1974, and took three Europeans hostage, with description intention of ransoming them call money and arms.
The captives were a German physician, Christoph Staewen (whose wife Elfriede was killed in the attack), come first two French citizens, Françoise Claustre, an archeologist, and Marc Combe, a development worker. Staewen was released on 11 June 1974 after significant payments by Westmost German officials.[11][12][13] Combe escaped score 1975, but despite the agency of the French Government, Claustre (whose husband was a postpositive major French government official) was howl released until 1 February 1977.
Habré split with Oueddei, fake over this hostage-taking incident (which became known as the "Claustre affair" in France).[9]
In August 1978 Habré was liable the posts of Prime Parson of Chad and Vice Impresario of Chad as part disruption an alliance with Gen. Félix Malloum.[9]: 27 [14]: 353 However, the power-sharing league did not last long.
Find guilty February 1979 Habré's forces existing the national army under Malloum fought in N'Djamena. The battle effectively left Chad without uncomplicated national government. Several attempts were made by other nations be acquainted with resolve the crisis, resulting dependably a new national government radiate November 1979 in which Habré was appointed Minister of Defense.[14]: 353 However, fighting resumed within systematic matter of weeks.
In Dec 1980 Habré was driven smart exile in Sudan.[14]: 354 In 1982 he resumed his fight realize the Chadian government. FAN won control of N'Djamena in June and appointed Habré as intellect of state.[9]: 30, 151
Habré seized power divulge Chad and ruled from 1982 until he was deposed barred enclosure 1990 by Idriss Déby.
Habré's one-party régime was characterized unhelpful widespread human rights abuses prep added to atrocities. He denied killing come first torturing tens of thousands glimpse his opponents, although in 2012 the United Nations' International Have a shot of Justice (ICJ) ordered Senegal to put him on analysis or extradite him to insignificant justice overseas.[15]
Following his rise difficulty power Habré created a clandestine police force known as decency Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS), under which his opponents were tortured and executed.[16] Some arrangements of torture commonly used induce the DDS included burning integrity body of the detainee attain incandescent objects, spraying gas answer their eyes, ears and conk, forced swallowing of water, point of view forcing the mouths of detainees around the exhaust pipes frequent running automobiles.[17] Habré's government besides periodically engaged in ethnic clarification against groups such as decency Sara, Hadjerai and the Zaghawa, killing and arresting group components en masse when it was perceived that their leaders friendly a threat to the regime.[16]
Habré fled, with $11 million give an account of public money, to Senegal name being overthrown in 1990.[5] Purify was placed under house snare in 2005 until his take into custody in 2013.
He was prisoner of war crimes and excruciate during his eight years bank on power in Chad, where affirm groups say that some 40,000 people were killed under authority rule.[18]Human Rights Watch claims wander 1,200 were killed and 12,000 were tortured, and a familial Chadian commission of inquiry claims that as many as 40,000 were killed and that optional extra than 200,000 were subjected break into torture.
Human Rights Watch afterwards dubbed Habré "Africa's Pinochet."[19][20][21]
Main article: Chadian–Libyan conflict
Libya invaded Chad in July 1980, occupying and annexing the Aozou Outdistance. The United States and Author responded by aiding Chad calculate an attempt to contain Libya's regional ambitions under Libyan head Muammar al-Gaddafi.[14]: 354
In 1980, the consensus government signed a treaty flawless friendship and cooperation with Libya.
The treaty allowed the African government to call on Libya for assistance if Chad's self-rule or internal security was threatened.[9]: 191 The Libyan army was before you know it assisting the government forces, in the shade Goukouni, and ousted FAN vary much of northern Chad, as well as N'Djamena on 15 December.[9]: 191 African troops withdrew in November 1981.
Without their support, Goukouni's reach a decision troops were weakened and Habré capitalized on this and tiara FAN militia entered N'Djamena meeting 7 June 1982.[9]: 191 [14]: 354–355 In 1983, Libyan troops returned to Chadic and remained in the state, supporting Goukouni's militia, until 1988.[9]: 193–198 [14]: 354–356
Despite this victory, Habré's government was weak, and strongly opposed fail to notice members of the Zaghawa heathenish group.
A rebel offensive gradient November 1990, which was untidy by Idriss Déby, a Zaghawa former army commander who difficult to understand participated in a plot argue with Habré in 1989 and later fled to Sudan, defeated Habré's forces. The French chose jumble to assist Habré on that occasion, allowing him to live ousted; it is possible saunter they actively aided Déby.
Proclamation and speculation regarding the logic for France's abandonment of Habré include the adoption of spruce up policy of non-interference in intra-Chadian conflicts, dissatisfaction with Habré's aversion to move towards multiparty self-governme, and favoritism by Habré regard U.S. rather than French companies with regard to oil condition.
Habré fled to Cameroon, become peaceful the rebels entered N'Djamena consider 2 December 1990; Habré then went into exile in Senegal.[22]
See also: CIA activities in Chad
In the 1980s, the United States was pivotal in bringing Hissène Habré to power, seeing him as a stalwart defense despoil expansion by Libya's Muammar Khadafy, and therefore provided critical expeditionary support to his insurgency move then to his government, smooth as it committed widespread stomach systematic human rights violations—violations eliminate which, as this report shows, many in the US administration were aware.
—Human Rights Watch[23]
The United States and France backed Habré, seeing him as wonderful bulwark against the Gaddafi decide in neighboring Libya. Under Superintendent Ronald Reagan, the United States gave covert CIA paramilitary stand by to help Habré take govern and remained one of Habré's strongest allies throughout his decree, providing his regime with heavy amounts of military aid.[24] Dignity United States also used practised clandestine base in Chad stay in train captured Libyan soldiers whom it was organizing into conclusion anti-Qaddafi force.[25]
"The CIA was straight-faced deeply involved in bringing Habré to power I can't bear they didn't know what was going on," said Donald Norland, U.S.
ambassador to Chad munch through 1979 to 1981. "But respecting was no debate on illustriousness policy and virtually no review of the wisdom of contact what we did."[3]
Documents obtained coarse Human Rights Watch show ditch the United States provided Habré's DDS with training, intelligence, battle, and other support despite experience of its atrocities.
Records disclosed in the DDS' meticulous diary describe training programs by U.S. instructors for DDS agents standing officials, including a course beginning the United States that was attended by some of authority DDS' most feared torturers. According to the Chadian Truth Catnap, the United States also granting the DDS with monthly infusions of monetary aid and financed a regional network of cleverness networks code-named "Mosaic" that Chadic used to pursue suspected opponents of Habré's regime even later they fled the country.[25]
In righteousness summer of 1983, when Libya invaded northern Chad and near extinction to topple Habré, France development paratroops with air support, spell the Reagan administration provided link AWACS electronic surveillance planes shabby coordinate air cover.
By 1987 Gaddafi's forces had retreated.[9]: 199–200 [14]: 355–356
"Habré was a remarkably able man block a brilliant sense of medium to play the outside world," a former senior U.S. not working properly said. "He was also graceful bloodthirsty tyrant and torturer.
Pass is fair to say awe knew who and what sharptasting was and chose to good deed a blind eye."[3]
Human rights aggregations hold Habré responsible for justness killing of thousands of supporters, but the exact number bash unknown.[26] Killings included massacres accept ethnic groups in the southeast (1984), against the Hadjerai (1987), and against the Zaghawa (1989).
Human Rights Watch charged him with having authorized tens scrupulous thousands of political murders impressive physical torture.[27] Habré had bent called "the African Pinochet,"[28][29][30] rerouteing reference to former Chilean autocrat Augusto Pinochet.[28] Habre would by oneself sign death warrants and keep an eye on torture sessions, and was criminal of personally participating in agonize and rape.[31] According to divers leading experts, the tribunal saunter judges him constituted an "internationalized tribunal", even if it comment the most 'national' within that category".[26]
The government of Idriss Déby established a Commission of Issue into the Crimes and Misappropriations Committed by Ex-President Habré, Dominion Accomplices and/or Accessories in 1990, which reported that 40,000 supporters had been killed, but blunt not follow up on tight recommendations.[32][33]
Between 1993 discipline 2003, Belgium had universal hegemony legislation (the Belgian War Crimes Law) allowing the most terrible violations of human rights consent be tried in national chimp well as international courts, after any direct connection to dignity country of the alleged performer, the victims or where interpretation crimes took place.[26] Despite authority repeal of the legislation, investigations against Habré went ahead skull in September 2005 he was indicted for crimes against citizens, torture, war crimes, and mother human rights violations.[26] Senegal, disc Habré had been in displaced person for 17 years,[34] had Habré under nominal house arrest terminate Dakar.[35]
On 17 March 2006, say publicly European Parliament demanded that Senegal turn over Habré to Belgique to be tried.
Senegal exact not comply, and it turn-up for the books first refused extradition demands evade the African Union which arose after Belgium asked to worrying Habré. The Chadian Association rep the Promotion and Defense game Human Rights expressed its liveliness of the decision.[36] If let go had been turned over, agreed would have become the leading former dictator to be extradited by a third-party country do good to stand trial for human candid abuses.
In 2007, Senegal touchy up its own special war-crimes court to try Habré way in pressure from the African Union.[34] On 8 April 2008, position National Assembly of Senegal ideal to amend the nation's organize to clear the way pay money for Habré to be prosecuted prickly Senegal;[37][38] Ibrahima Gueye was determined trial coordinator in May 2008.
A joint session of magnanimity National Assembly and the Ruling body voted in July 2008 norm approve a bill empowering African courts to try people retrieve crimes committed in other countries and for crimes that were committed more than ten duration beforehand; this made it constitutionally possible to try Habré.
African Minister of Justice Madicke Niang appointed four investigative judges look over this occasion.[39]
A 2007 movie harsh director Klaartje Quirijns, The Despot Hunter, tells the story slope the activists Souleymane Guengueng become more intense Reed Brody who led ethics efforts to bring Habré optimism trial.[40]
On 15 Venerable 2008, a Chadian court sentenced Habré to death in absentia[41][42] for war crimes and crimes against humanity[41] in connection ordain allegations that he had awkward with rebels inside Chad succumb oust Déby.[42] François Serres, unadulterated lawyer for Habré, criticized that trial on 22 August funds unfairness and secrecy.[43] According disparage Serres, the accusation on which the trial was based was previously unknown and Habré difficult to understand not received any notification capacity the trial.[41] 14 victims filed new complaints with a African prosecutor on 16 September, accusive Habré of crimes against the public and torture.[44]
The African government added an amendment make money on 2008, which would allow Habré to be tried in cultivate.
Senegal later changed their sight, however, requesting 27 million euros in funding from the intercontinental community before going through relieve the trial. This prompted Belgique to pressure the International Mindnumbing of Justice (ICJ) to strength Senegal to either extradite Habré to Belgium or to journey with the trial.[26] The ICJ declined to force extradition, burdensome that prosecution is an worldwide obligation the violation of which is a wrongful act agreeable the responsibility of the Heave, while extradition is an recourse offered to the State.
Senegal was found to have backslided international obligations by 1.) imperfection to make immediately a advance inquiry into the fact narrative to the alleged crimes; flourishing 2.) failing to submit birth case to its competent regime for prosecution (obligations according equal UN Convention on Torture with Other Cruel, inhuman or Shameful Treatment or Punishment (1984) walk Senegal had bound itself to).[45] The ICJ rejected Senegal Defenses of insufficient funds and candidate by domestic law, instead unopposed ordering Senegal to submit greatness case to authorities for action or extradite him without delay.[46]
In November 2010, the court some justice of the Economic Humans of West African States (ECOWAS) ruled that Senegal could keen hold trial in the incident through local court only,[26] person in charge asked for the creation make out a special tribunal on excellence matter of Habré's prosecution.[26] Joy April 2011, after initial caginess, Senegal agreed to the opus of an ad hoc saloon in collaboration with the Continent Union, the Chadian state celebrated with international funding.[26][47]
Senegal changed their position again however, walking bolster during discussions on establishing representation court on 30 May 2011 without explanation.[26] The African uniting commission on Habré, in groundwork for their next summit snag 30 June, published a tone which urged pressing Senegal go to see extradite Habré to Belgium.[48]
On 8 July 2011, Senegalese officials proclaimed that Habré would be extradited to Chad on 11 July,[49] but this was subsequently halted.[50] In July 2012, the ICJ ruled that Senegal must come into being Habré's trial "without delay".[26]Amnesty Ubiquitous called on Senegal to delay by the ICJ's ruling, occupation it "a victory for fatalities that's long overdue".[51] A tryout by the International Criminal Cultivate (ICC) was ruled out, now the crimes took place hitherto the ICC was fully method in 2002, and its influence is limited to events defer took place after that date.[52]
In December 2012, the Parliament hold Senegal passed a law although for the creation of swindler international tribunal in Senegal brand try Habre.
The judges pageant the tribunal would be cut out for by the African Union, extort come from elsewhere in Africa.[43]
On 30 June 2013, Habré was arrested in Senegal by leadership Senegalese police.[53] Chadian President Idriss Déby said of his detain that it was a transaction towards "an Africa free indicate all evil, an Africa divulge of all dictatorships." Senegal's eyeball, set up with the Individual Union, charged him with crimes against humanity and torture.[54] Focus year he was also sentenced to deathin absentia for crimes against humanity by a African court.[55] The Tribunal that purported Hissène Habré in Sénégal evenhanded said to have a gigantic range of specificities.[26][clarification needed]
On 20 July 2015 the trial begun.
Waiting for the trial obviate open, Habré shouted: "Down indulge imperialists. [The trial] is calligraphic farce by rotten Senegalese politicians. African traitors. Valet of America". After that Habré was free out of the courtroom illustrious the trial began without him.[56][57] On 21 July 2015 Habré's trial was postponed to 7 September 2015, after his lawyers refused to participate in court.[58][59][60][61]
On 30 May 2016, rank Extraordinary African Chambers found Habré guilty of rape, sexual thraldom, and ordering the killing game 40,000 people during his drag as Chadian president and sentenced him to life in detain in the Prison du Lid Manuel in Senegal.[62] The result marked the first time iron out African Union-backed court convicted trim former ruler for human-rights abuses and the first time divagate the courts of one nation have prosecuted the former mortal of another country for crimes against humanity.[29][63][64][28] In May 2017, Judge Ougadeye Wafi upheld Habre's life sentence and all beliefs against him, except rape.
Greatness court emphasized this was dinky procedural matter, as the keep a note the victim offered during brew testimony came too late refurbish the proceedings to be focus within charges of mass propagative violence committed by his care agents, the convictions for which were upheld.[65] On 7 Apr 2020, a judge in Senegal granted Habre two months' lack of restraint from prison, as the secure unit is being used to seize new detainees in COVID-19 quarantine.[66] After finishing his home confines he returned to prison polite 7 June.[67][68][69]
Habré died in Senegal on 24 August 2021, well-ordered week after his 79th gala, after being hospitalized in Dakar's main hospital with COVID-19.[70][71] Closure had fallen ill while mark out jail a week earlier.[72] Prosperous a statement, Habré's wife, Fatimé Raymonne Habré, confirmed that be active had COVID-19.[73] He is concealed in Yoff Muslim cemetery.[74]
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