Gambians want swift justice for the crimes of fallen dictator Yahya Jammeh’s regime but the new government faces an uphill battle to jail the most prolific abusers. Silenced for 22 years, victims shot or tortured by Jammeh’s security services are now speaking out, along with families whose loved ones have been pulled from recently found … Read more
About a dozen people in a court room in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, jumped up and down, crying “We won!” when an appeals judge upheld the life sentence imposed on Chad’s ex-President Hissene Habre, Reuters news agency reports. The group was made up of victims of atrocities committed during Habre’s eight-year rule in Chad. One of … Read more
Chadian lawyer Jacqueline Moudeina has fought for close to two decades to deliver justice for the victims of former president Hissene Habre, who terrorised his people for eight years, leaving tens of thousands dead. Moudeina represented the victims during Habre’s trial by a special court created by Senegal and the African Union. AFP asked her … Read more
A desert warfare specialist, Chad’s Hissene Habre seized power in 1982 and quickly embraced the role of ruthless dictator, with brutal atrocities the hallmark of his eight-year reign of terror. Often dressed in combat fatigues that complemented his “desert fighter” nickname, Habre fled to Senegal after he was ousted by current Chadian President Idriss Deby … Read more
Chad’s former president Hissene Habre will learn Thursday if his lawyers’ appeal against sentences for war crimes, crimes against humanity and rape have been successful, following his landmark conviction by a special court last year. The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union (AU), sentenced Habre last May to life … Read more
Chad’s former president Hissene Habre will Thursday hear the final decision on an appeal against a life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity and rape, following his landmark conviction last year. The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union (AU), sentenced Habre last May to life behind bars, an … Read more
When Gambian intelligence officers arrested journalist Ebrima Manneh at his newspaper, he asked an office guard to save some tea. “I’m coming right back,” he said, according to colleague Alhagie Jobe, who was present in the newsroom. That was on the afternoon of July 11, 2006; since then, neither his colleagues at the Daily Observer … Read more
The Gambia’s former president Yahya Jammeh wielded a potent mix of brute force and mysticism to keep citizens in a permanent state of fear, a legacy that lingers. Whether a poor farmer or government minister, nobody could feel safe during Jammeh’s 22-year rule. Now, weeks after the paranoid autocrat was chased from power in the … Read more
Chad’s ex-President Hissene Habre has gone to court to challenge his conviction for crimes against humanity. His lawyers argue that the trial by a special court jointly set up by Senegal and the African Union was marred by procedural errors. They also say the defendant’s rights were not respected. Mr Habre was the first former … Read more