Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at an African Union-backed trial in the Senegalese capital Dakar in 2016. After he was overthrown, Habre fled to Senegal and for more than 20 years lived freely in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children. Dubbed "Africa's Pinochet", Habre was finally arrested in 2013 and tried by a special tribunal set up by the African Union under a deal with Senegal. He granted a 60-day temporary leave to Habre, to be served at his home in Ouakam, a district of Dakar, and ordered him to return to prison on its expiry. An association of victims of his regime last week said "the health crisis should not be used as an excuse for the early release of Hissene Habre".

Source: Daily Nation April 07, 2020 02:26 UTC