He was rushed from the courtroom by security men.
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Habre – backed during his presidency by France and the United States as a bulwark against Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi – is on trial for crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture in Chad from 1982 until he was ousted in 1990.
Once dubbed “Africa’s Pinochet”, the 72-year-old has been in custody in Senegal since his arrest in June 2013 at the home he shared in an affluent suburb of Dakar with his wife and children.
“Down with imperialism, down with neocolonialism”, the former president, dressed all in white, cried as he was removed from the bench minutes later.
But guards forced him into the dock before a courtroom packed with a thousand participants and spectators.
Waiting for the trial to open, the former Chadian leader shouted: “Down with imperialists”.
Several of Habre’s young supporters made similar assertions outside the courthouse.
Former Chadian president Hissene Habre was again forcefully brought into a special court in Dakar on Tuesday by security officials on the second day of his trial for crimes against humanity.
He was overthrown by rebel troops in December 1990 and fled to Senegal.
At the end of his opening statement, prosecutor Mbacke Fall said that Mr Habre’s “silence will not be seen as a defence strategy” and will not affect a fair trial.
According to the Chadian truth commission formed by Chad’s current president, Idriss Deby, Habre’s government was responsible for an estimated 40,000 deaths.
“We must have the capacity to try our own leaders right here in Africa”.
‘The world watches you, it watches us.
Delayed for years by Senegal, where Habre has lived since being ousted in 1990, the hearings will set a historic precedent as until now African leaders accused of atrocities have been tried in global courts. “The Hissene Habre trial shows that it is possible for victims, with perseverance and resolve, to bring a dictator to court”.
Macky Sall, Wade’s successor who took office in April 2012 vowed to organise a trial in Senegal.
Senegal has had to amend its laws to adopt “universal jurisdiction”, which is the foundation in worldwide law that allows one country to judge a foreigner for offenses allegedly committed in another, the AP reported.
“So there are a lot of historical aspects to this”.
“This is a big sigh of relief for the victims, who have waited for 25 years for justice“, said civil servant Roger Leotard.
The proceedings, due to last around 3 months, are being heard by a Special African Chamber (CAE) created in 2013 by Senegal and the African Union.
Gueye, the only Senegalese person who has launched a case against Habre, was accused of being a spy in 1987 and locked up for seven months.
“This is a test case, in a way, for African justice”.
The trial against Hissene Habre is a major milestone for justice in Chad and in Africa.
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The case against Habre turns on whether he personally ordered the killing and torture of political opponents and ethnic rivals.
