What Chad's former dictator guilty verdict means for the African Union
It was a major moment for African justice earlier this week when the former ruler of Chad, Hissène Habré, was found guilty of crimes against humanity, and sentenced to life behind bars in a landmark trial.
The 73-year-old Hissène Habré was found guilty of crimes against humanity, rape, forced slavery and kidnapping, and of having ordered the killings of some 40,000 people during his rule between 1982 and 1990.
It marks the first time that one country has successfully prosecuted a leader of another for human rights abuses, as well as the first time a head of state has been found guilty of rape. The case was heard by a tribunal that was specially appointed by the African Union.
A Montreal man was impacted by the dictatorship's abuse. In 1984, when Sangandem Ndem Ngoidi was 23, his father disappeared, and is considered a presumed victim of the regime. Sangandem Ndem Ngoidi shares his story with The Current.
We know they found mass graves around the city, but we have no idea where they put our father, to this day.- Sangandem Ndem Ngoidi
Gaetan Mootoo, Amnesty International's Researcher on West Africa, has been working on the case against Hissène Habré for decades. He joins the conversation to provide details about the conviction and its ramifications.
When there was the move to have Habré tried, many people thought this [outcome] was unachievable.- Gaeten Mootoo
This segment was producer by The Current's Marc Apollonio, Ines Colabrese and Sarah Grant