The Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) has welcomed the life sentence slapped on Hissène Habré, former military ruler of Chad.

Habré was found guilty by the Special court of Senegal for crimes against humanity, torture, and slavery.  

The Special Court established after an agreement between AU and Senegal to bring Habré to trial for international crimes during his rule as a military dictator from 1982 to 1990 on May 30, convicted Mr. Habré. 

 Executive Director of ACILA, Mr. William Nyarko describes the court’s decision as historic and a step in the right direction because it’s the first time an African country has prosecuted and convicted a former leader of another African country for gross human rights abuses committed outside that country.

“It is also an interesting model of a hybrid court for international justice because the prosecutors and investigative judges were nominated by Senegal’s justice minister and appointed by the AU," says Mr. Nyarko.

The president of the tribunal was a senior judge from Burkina Faso who had served as a Judge with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

According to Mr. Nyarko, the trial also shows the Africa Union and member states can collaborate to stop impunity for international crimes in Africa.

Though the verdict came 26-years after the Chadian dictator left office, Mr. Nyarko is happy his trial shows post-facto accountability at work.

According to Chadian investigators, at least 40,000 people were killed during Habré's rule, which was marked by fierce repression of opponents and the targeting of rival ethnic groups.

The court heard deadly punishments were inflicted by Habré's feared secret police, the Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS) and victims subjected to electric shocks while some had gas sprayed in their eyes or spice rubbed into their genitals.

But the convicted dictator remained unremorseful as Mr. Gberdao Gustave Kam, President of the Special Court read out the verdict to him: "Hissene Habré, this court finds you guilty of crimes against humanity, rape, forced slavery, and kidnapping." 

Mr. Nyarko says progress needs to be made to hold leaders accountable when they are in office, adding the current position of African leaders for immunity is unsupported by international criminal justice.