Senegal to return Chad war crimes case to AU

Google / AFP, Jan 15, 2011

DAKAR — Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade is determined to hand ex-Chadian dictator Hissene Habre's war crimes dossier back to the African Union, a cabinet statement indicated Friday.

In December Wade said he wanted to "get rid of" Habre, exiled in Dakar, whom the AU mandated Senegal to try in 2006 on behalf of Africa for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had ruled in November that Senegal cannot alone try Habre for crimes against humanity, but said a special tribunal could be used.

"The President of the Republic has informed cabinet that the ECOWAS court considers that Senegal cannot try the former Chadian president," said the cabinet statement.

"He has thus committed to implement this decision by handing the Habre dossier back to the African Union."

Habre has been blamed for the killing and torturing of thousands during his rule from 1982 to 1990, when he was toppled and fled the country. He has since been living in Senegal.

An official truth commission report in 1992 accused Habre's regime of committing some 40,000 political murders.

Senegal has been accused of dragging its feet on the case -- which would be the first time an African leader was tried for war crimes on the continent -- by demanding donors provide 27 million euros (36 million US dollars) up front to get the process going.

In November a meeting of international donors in Dakar pledged 8.5 million euro for the organisation of the trial.

A group of NGOs including Human Rights Watch suggested in December the AU and Dakar work together to create the special tribunal in Senegal as was done in Cambodia and Bosnia.

They said Wade's statement had caused "deep disappointment among the victims" of Habre's regime.