April 2006
A Belgian judge has indicted the former Chadian President Hissène Habré for his alleged role in thousands of political killings, systematic torture, and violent campaigns against different ethnic groups. Belgium has asked for Mr. Habré’s extradition from Senegal, where he lives and where he was first indicted on atrocity charges in 2000. The president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, in turn requested the January 2006 summit of the African Union (A.U.) to “indicate the competent jurisdiction” for the trial of Mr. Habré. On January 24, 2006, the A.U. set up a Committee of Eminent African Jurists (CEAJ) to consider the options available for Hissène Habré’s trial, taking into account, inter alia, “fair trial standards,” “efficiency in terms of cost and time of trial,” “accessibility to the trial by alleged victims as well as witnesses,” and “priority for an African mechanism.”
