Accessibility links

Breaking News

1,000 Join Lawsuit Against Ex-Chad Dictator Habre


Former Chad President Hissene Habre (R) raises his fist in the air as he leaves a court in Dakar escorted by a Senegalese policeman, November 2005.
Former Chad President Hissene Habre (R) raises his fist in the air as he leaves a court in Dakar escorted by a Senegalese policeman, November 2005.
A lawyer says more than 1,000 people have joined a lawsuit against former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, who is facing trial in Senegal.

Jacqueline Moudeina told reporters in Dakar Wednesday that each of the people in the suit suffered at the hands of the Habre government, which ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990.

Habre was arrested June 30 after living in exile in Dakar for more than two decades.

He faces charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture. A Chadian truth commission has blamed Habre's government for the deaths of some 40,000 people during his eight-year rule.

Habre's trial is expected to begin next year.
  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG