Belgium renews request to extradite ex Chadian leader from Senegal

Jan 18, 2012, 12:43 GMT

Brussels - Belgium said Wednesday it had issued a fresh demand for Senegal to extradite the former president of Chad, Hissene Habre, who stands accused of torture and crimes against humanity.

Habre, who ruled Chad for eight years, has been living in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, since he was toppled in 1990. Belgium is seeking to prosecute him on the basis of its 'universal competence' law, which punishes human rights violations throughout the world as long as a connection to Belgium can be established.

'The Belgian government is keen to stress the importance it attaches to justice being done on the basis of the complaints that have been presented in 2000 and 2001 by Belgians victims (of Habre) of Chadian origin,' a statement from the foreign ministry said.

Belgium is on its fourth extradition attempt. Its previous request was rejected by the Senegalese judiciary last week on procedural grounds.

Senegal has declined to prosecute Habre in its own courts, saying it lacks the resources to pay for such a high profile trial. The Belgian Foreign Ministry said it had repeatedly offered to pick up the bill, as an alternative to him standing trial in Belgium.

'To date, no follow-up has been given to this concrete proposal,' it lamented.

The ministry also recalled that it is pursuing a case before the International Court of Justice to force Senegal to fulfil its international obligation to either extradite or prosecute Habre.

'Hearings on the substance of this case will take place in the coming months,' it said.

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