Chad: compensation for victims of Hissène Habré has begun
In Chad, compensation for victims of Hissène Habre began to be paid this Friday, February 23.
After discussions with victims' associations, Ndjamena announced the payment of 10 billion FCFA to around 10,700 people.
A continuation of the trial of the former dictator which ended in 2016. The presidency also announced that the victims had requested to rehabilitate the former president in accordance with the resolutions of the national dialogue.
Hissène Habré, photographed in 1988 during a Franco-African summit in Casablanca.
FILES / AFP
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On Thursday, the Chadian presidency received the victims' associations.
The parties agreed for the payment by Ndjamena of an envelope of 10 billion CFA francs, while the various courts of justice had ordered compensation at least ten times greater to be paid through a trust fund passing through the African Union.
Adoumbaye Dam Pierre is the president of the association of victims of the crimes of the Hissène Habré regime.
For him, this first compensation will relieve the victims, even if he hopes that all of the compensation provided will be paid.
“
Yesterday, again, we lost two victims and the victims live in the most absolute precariousness,”
he recalls joined by
Sébastien Nemeth
of the Africa editorial team
.
There are some who lost everything during their detention;
There are some who have lost their husbands and the children cannot go to school.
Imagine that today, it still brings a little relief, even if it's not total, because there's still a lot of money left, but that little bit could help them with their health, maybe. be able to pay for the children's education.
Widowers and orphans live in desolation and bitterness.
We, an association of victims, are planning to go to Addis Ababa, because the State had taken measures to be able to grant the premises which were to house the trust fund, it has been more than three years today, until Today we didn't come back.
We don't lose hope...
"
What about the remains of Hissène Habré
“
We are all believers.
God has always advocated forgiveness
,” declared Maïbé Komandje Gabin after his meeting with the Chadian head of state on Thursday.
The president of the victims association AVCRP considered that it was necessary to rehabilitate
Hissène Habré
as a Chadian.
Djidda Oumar Mahamat goes further.
According to the secretary general of the ADH network, he must be “
buried with dignity, like other heads of state
”, because for him “
someone who is dead is already forgiven
”…
The remains of the former president have been buried in Dakar since his
death from Covid 19 three years ago
.
However, its rehabilitation was one of the recommendations of the national dialogue at the end of 2022.
Read alsoThe remains of former Chadian president Hissène Habré buried in Dakar
But such a gesture remains sensitive.
For Adoumbaye Dam Pierre, this question cannot be asked
before the end of the compensation
.
“
The victims must first be appeased, to gradually move towards reconciliation
,” said the president of the AVCRHH.
But for him, certain red lines cannot be crossed.
Including a burial with honors.
“
My own father was killed by Hissène Habré and I don’t even know where he was buried.
We must not rub salt in the wound.
Going too fast will add fuel to the fire and the victims will take to the streets
,” he said.
An activist speaks of “
scheming
” to buy the associations and cajole the supporters of Hissène Habré for electoral reasons.
“
We see an interest from those in power in getting closer to their camp.
Her son was able to return to the country last year.
But the rapprochement could not be made before compensation
,” analyzes an observer.
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