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Habré

Hissène Habré (1942–2021) was a Chadian politician who served as the President of Chad from 1982 to 1990. He came to power in a military coup against President Goukouni Weddeye, with support from Libyan and other foreign backers, and established an authoritarian regime characterized by centralized power and political repression.

Early life and rise to power: Habré was born in 1942 in Chad and joined the Chadian

Rule and human rights abuses: During his presidency, opposition voices were systematically silenced, and thousands of

Post-presidency and accountability: Habré was ousted in 1990 by Idriss Déby and went into exile in Senegal.

armed
forces
before
rising
to
prominence
during
the
early
1980s.
With
Libyan
assistance,
he
led
a
faction
that
challenged
existing
authorities
and
ultimately
overthrew
the
government,
taking
the
presidency
in
1982.
His
rule
relied
on
security
services
and
irregular
forces
to
suppress
dissent
and
maintain
control,
while
Chad’s
political
landscape
remained
volatile.
people
were
subjected
to
torture,
extrajudicial
killings,
disappearances,
and
other
human
rights
abuses.
The
regime
pursued
a
campaign
against
perceived
opponents
and
certain
ethnic
and
regional
groups,
creating
a
climate
of
fear
and
repression.
In
2013,
he
was
brought
to
trial
before
the
Extraordinary
African
Chambers
in
Senegal,
established
to
prosecute
crimes
against
humanity
committed
in
Chad.
In
2016,
he
was
convicted
of
crimes
against
humanity,
war
crimes,
and
torture
and
sentenced
to
life
imprisonment.
His
case
became
a
landmark
in
Africa
for
transitional
justice
and
accountability
for
former
heads
of
state.
Habré
died
in
2021
while
in
custody
in
Senegal.