Summary: Landmark trial of former Chadian President Hissène Habré takes place before the Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar, Senegal

The trial of former Chadian President Hissène Habré, accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture, began in July 2015 before the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal. The alleged crimes were committed during Habré’s regime from 1982 to 1990, when an estimated 40,000 people are reported to have died or disappeared.

SRT grantee TrustAfrica has enhanced independent coverage of the Habré trial through their International Criminal Justice (ICJ) Fund which worked closely with a consortium of civil society organisations and Senegalese law graduates. The ICJ Fund trained a group of law graduates from the Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar to monitor, document and provide daily reports on the proceedings in both French and English across various platforms. The work of these students provides an invaluable resource to ensure there is an independent platform of informed actors who can provide accurate and timely analysis of the proceedings, and share this information in Africa and beyond.

The trial ended on February 11 2016, after testimony from 93 witnesses, and on May 30, 2016 judges at the Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegal court system will deliver their verdict. This is the first time a former African Head of State is facing justice in another African country. It is also one of the first occasions that an African court is operating under the principle of universal jurisdiction. The New York Times has called the case “a milestone for justice in Africa.”

For further details on the case: http://www.trustafrica.org/en/resource/news/item/3212-extraordinary-chambers-monitor

Information on Extraordinary African Chambers: http://www.forumchambresafricaines.org/V1_ficae/?lang=en

Information on the law graduates monitoring the trial: http://www.trustafrica.org/en/programme/governance-page/international-criminal-justice/item/3214-decouvrez-l-equipe-des-etudiants-observateurs-du-proces-habre/3214-decouvrez-l-equipe-des-etudiants-observateurs-du-proces-habre