Viewers Corner’s correspondent in Dakar learnt that Chad’s former dictator, Hissene Habre has been convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison. According to report, the trial which was held in Senegal by the African Union-backed court found Hissene Habre guilty of rape, sexual slavery and ordering the killings of about 40,000 people during his regime from 1982 to 1990.
This is the first time an African Union-backed court had tried a former ruler for crime against humanity and the former dictator was given 15 days to appeal. Many people including the survivors from the Hissene Habre brutal regime welcomed the court’s verdict. One of the victims of Habre’s brutality who spoke with our correspondent stated that most notorious detention centre in the capital (N’Djamena) was a converted swimming pool and victims passed through so many tortures like electric shocks, near-asphyxia, cigarette burns etc. Habre who received strong backing from the US while in power was arrested in Senegal in 2013 where he was exiled. Hissene Habre was born in 1942 from tribe of Toubou (herders in northern Chad) and he seized power in 1982 with the help of the CIA as alleged. He was overthrown by the country’s current President, Idriss Deby in 1990.
Viewers Corner applauds the verdict given to Hissene Habre by the African Union-backed court in Senegal and this will definitely teach a lesson to other African dictators in the continent.
Source: Viewers Corner News.