afrol News, 15 August - Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre and 11 leaders of eastern rebel group were sentenced to death in capital N'Djamena today, on war crime charges.

Mr Habre has lived in exile in Senegal since incumbent president Idriss Derby overthrew him in 1990.

Victims of his former government had lodged many complaints against him. He was also indicted by Belgium for committing heinous war crimes, including torture. His regime is accused of executing about 40,000 political murders.

On instructions of African Union, Senegal is preparing to try Mr Habre for alleged torture and political killings committed under his rule in Chad between 1982 and 1990.

Earlier in 2006, AU mandated Senegal to prosecute Mr Habré, but local court ruled it lacked jurisdiction to try ex-president on alleged charges.

Among those tried in absentia this week and facing death sentence are Mahamat Nouri, head of rebel group, National Alliance, and Timane Erdimi, head of Rally of Forces for Change (RFC).

The court did not issue any arrest warrant for those sentenced in absentia. President Deby has been fighting a sporadic rebellion based around country's eastern border with Sudan's Darfur region.

Darfur's five-year-old conflict has spilled over frontier, sending hundreds of thousands of refugees, as well as armed rebels, into eastern Chad.

Chadian rebels have twice crossed country to attack N'djamena in west, most recently in February when they were repelled by loyalist forces who allegedly received logistical help from Libyan and French forces.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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