Reparations for the Victims of Hissène Habré’s Regime: An Unfinished Justice

By Bichara Mahamat Djibrine, Programme Manager ATPDH and Julie Bardeche, Senior Legal Advisor, REDRESS

In February 2024, the Chadian government began distributing payments to victims of Hissène Habré’s regime. This long-awaited initiative could have marked a significant step forward. However, the amount allocated is minimal, the legal framework is unclear, and transparency is lacking. The African Union also has yet to activate the promised Trust Fund, leaving victims in a state of unfinished justice.

Hissène Habré, President of Chad from 1982 to 1990, was convicted of crimes against humanity by a special court in 2016, while his subordinates were convicted of torture in Chad in 2015. These rulings ordered the payment of 75 billion and later 82 billion CFA francs to 7,000 victims. Yet, these reparations have never been implemented, and symbolic initiatives such as the construction of a memorial and museum have been ignored.

In 2023, Chad’s transitional government announced payments representing less than 10% of the promised amounts. For victims, this partial reparation is an injustice. “Victims have waited decades, and now they are being offered a token amount, not true reparation,” laments Maître Jacqueline Moudeina.

Chad was supposed to establish an implementation commission, and the African Union, a Trust Fund to compensate victims. The commission was never created, and although a statute was drafted for the Fund, it was never operationalised. This inaction deepens the victims’ sense of abandonment and that impunity prevails.

Reparation should not be limited to financial compensation. It must also include psychosocial and medical support, as well as memorial initiatives. Yet these aspects have been neglected, worsening the victims’ suffering. Victims’ associations and lawyers are calling for full and transparent compensation, along with the implementation of symbolic measures. See briefing paper here.

This article was first published in the Community Corner of our Just Reparation newsletter. These contributions are invaluable in enriching our collective understanding and fostering meaningful dialogue within the reparation community of practice. If you would like to be featured, we encourage you to submit your contributions to [email protected].