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Hissène Habré, la traque d'un dictateur | Documentaire

imineo Documentaires・31 minutes read

Reed Brody and a team of lawyers are preparing a case against former Chadian president Hissène Habré for crimes against humanity, uncovering evidence of his brutal regime and systematic torture. Efforts to bring Habré to trial in Senegal face obstacles, including financial challenges and political motivations, leaving victims feeling betrayed and uncertain about justice.

Insights

  • Reed Brody, known as the "hunter of dictators," is leading the charge to hold former Chadian president Hissène Habré accountable for crimes against humanity, uncovering evidence of Habré's direct involvement in human rights abuses through political police documents and witness testimonies.
  • Despite persistent efforts by individuals like Clement Abaifouta and Mahamat Hassan Abakar to seek justice and preserve the memory of victims, the trial of Hissène Habré in Senegal faces significant obstacles, including financial constraints and political maneuvering, threatening to derail the pursuit of justice and leaving victims feeling betrayed and frustrated.

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Recent questions

  • Who is Hissène Habré?

    Former Chadian president accused of crimes against humanity.

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Summary

00:00

Justice Pursuit: Reed Brody vs Hissène Habré

  • In September 16, 2008, a group in Dakar, Senegal, including Senegalese and Chadian lawyers, human rights defenders, and victims' association president, Clément Abaïfouta, and American lawyer Reed Brody, prepare to file a complaint against former Chadian president Hissène Habré for crimes against humanity.
  • Hissène Habré, known as the African Pinochet, ruled Chad with a brutal regime, accused of setting up secret prisons with systematic torture, leading to over 40,000 Chadian deaths.
  • Reed Brody, dubbed the "hunter of dictators," is preparing to file a complaint against Hissène Habré in Dakar, aiming to bring him to justice for crimes against humanity.
  • Reed Brody, a Human Rights Watch spokesperson, gained fame by pursuing dictators like Pinochet, advocating for their accountability for human rights abuses.
  • Hissène Habré, a former Chadian president, led a guerrilla movement, later becoming a dictator known for his one-party system, suppression of opposition, and arbitrary arrests.
  • Reed Brody's investigation uncovers political police documents from Habré's regime, detailing arrests, interrogations, and deaths in custody, aiming to prove Habré's direct involvement in the crackdown.
  • Clement Abaifouta, a key witness, recounts his arrest and imprisonment by Habré's political police, revealing the horrors of secret regime prisons and mass graves where victims were buried.
  • The gravedigger, Abaifouta, estimates burying over 1000 victims in mass graves, leading to the discovery of the first mass graves and uncovering the extent of the regime's crimes.
  • Mahamat Hassan Abakar, a lawyer and former magistrate, led investigations into Habré's crimes, uncovering mass graves and documenting the atrocities committed during the dictatorship.
  • Despite efforts to erase evidence of the regime's crimes, including building over mass graves, individuals like Abaifouta and Abakar persist in seeking justice and preserving the memory of the victims.

19:16

Habré's Regime: Mass Graves and Torture

  • Anbin village, 20 kilometers west of N'Djamena, was the site of a mass grave where 150 people were killed by Habré's forces in one night.
  • The commission of inquiry filmed the exhumation of remains, revealing prisoners of war executed by bullets.
  • Mahamat Assane Abakar estimated over 40,000 deaths under Habré's regime, affecting six million inhabitants.
  • The worst prison under Habré's rule was an underground facility near the Presidential Palace, an old swimming pool converted into cells.
  • Prisoners endured extreme conditions in overcrowded cells, with no sanitation, leading to deaths from heat, malnutrition, and lack of hygiene.
  • Survivors like Ishmael Hashim witnessed numerous deaths and suffered inhumane conditions, including sleeping next to corpses.
  • Doctor Helene Japhet treated survivors, noting common health issues like rheumatism, muscle problems, and visual disturbances.
  • Ginette Beyer, a former prisoner, recounted horrific torture methods, including electric shocks, used to extract confessions.
  • Reed Brody and a team of lawyers are preparing a case against Habré, gathering evidence from witnesses like Bandjim Bandoum, a former DDS agent.
  • Bandjim Bandoum, now living in France, is willing to testify about the systematic repression and extermination of ethnic groups under Habré's regime, motivated by a desire for justice for his son.

38:06

Chad's DDS Head Denies Torture Allegations

  • The text discusses a department head at the DDS in 1989, with his signature on death certificates.
  • The individual denies participating or supervising interrogations, stating that commissions handle such tasks.
  • Despite admitting to arresting people, he claims to have never engaged in torture.
  • A twist emerges when a person named Bandjim Bandoum, previously associated with the DDS, is found living in Paris and denying any wrongdoing.
  • France's support of Chad against Libyan attacks in the 1980s is detailed, including Operation Manta involving 3000 troops and heavy armament.
  • The US, along with France and other countries, supported Hissène Habré's government to combat Gaddafi's threats.
  • Training courses for political police were organized in the US, with French involvement suspected due to their military presence in Chad.
  • Efforts to bring Hissène Habré to trial in Senegal are discussed, including failed attempts in 2001 and 2005.
  • In 2008, a new complaint is filed against Habré in Senegal, aiming to raise awareness and push for justice.
  • Despite efforts to meet with Hissène Habré, he remains elusive, with his Senegalese lawyer dismissing the pursuit of justice as politically motivated.

54:48

Funding issues threaten trial of Hissène Habré.

  • Money is the primary obstacle to holding the trial of Hissène Habré in Dakar, with the Minister emphasizing the need for international and national support to create and renew the political will necessary for the trial to proceed.
  • The Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade's threat to halt the trial unless money is quickly received from the international community has shocked the victims and created uncertainty, potentially leading to the expulsion of Hissène Habré to another country, restarting the legal process from scratch and leaving the victims feeling betrayed and angry after years of efforts to bring him to justice.
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