On May 30, 2016, an African Union-backed Senegalese court in Dakar convicted Habré of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture, including sexual violence and rape, and sentenced him to life in prison.  Habré died in prison in August 2021. In a separate trial in Chad, a court on March 25, 2015 had convicted 20 Habré-era security agents on murder and torture charges. Both courts ordered millions of dollars in victim compensation. The African Union and the government of Chad should fulfil their obligations to the victims under these court orders, the organizations said.

Habré’s victims are heroes who fought relentlessly for 25 years to bring him and his henchmen to justice, and were awarded millions of dollars, but they haven’t seen one cent in reparations. Two of the most active victims have just died and many others are in poor health and in desperate need.

Jacqueline Moudeina, lead counsel for the victims

On May 15, 2023, Ginette Ngarbaye, who was tortured and raped and gave birth in a secret Habré prison, died after a long illness. She was secretary of the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré (AVCRHH) and a leading witness at Habré’s trial. The same day, Fatime Kagone Tchangdoum, whose husband had been murdered by Habré’s security forces in 1983 and became an AVCRHH activist, also died. According to the victims’ group, some 400 direct and indirect victims have passed away since the 2016 verdict.

The Habré trial remains the only one in the world in which the courts of one country convicted the former ruler of another for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is widely considered, as the New York Times wrote, “a milestone for justice in Africa.” The African Union welcomed the judgment as “significant in that it reinforces the AU’s principle of African solutions to African problems.”

When an appellate court in Dakar confirmed Habré’s conviction in April 2017, and awarded 82 billion CFA francs (approximately US$130 million) to 7,396 named victims, it mandated an African Union Trust Fund to raise the money by searching for Habré’s assets and soliciting contributions. Although the African Union has allocated US$5 million to the Trust Fund, the fund has yet to begin work, six years after the appeals court order.

In September 2021, following Habré’s death while serving a life sentence  and a renewed international interest in the victims’ plight, the African Union sent a delegation to Chad, which it described as “a decisive turning point in the process of reparations for the victims, and announced that it was “working to render the Fund operational within the shortest possible time.” It would take almost another year until a second AU delegation arrived in August 2022  to “set up the fund’s provisional secretariat,…establish a work plan and set the modalities of the reparations process.” But it left Chad without doing so.

On September 19, 2022, Chad’s presidency wrote to the Trust Fund announcing that the government had allocated 10 billion CFA francs ($16.5 million) for it. According to the AU, however, that money has not been received.  On May 2, 2023, Chad’s transitional president, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, told a delegation from the victims’ group that he had asked the finance minister to make Chad’s contribution available to the victims.

In the Chadian trial of Habré’s henchmen, the court also awarded 75 billion CFA francs (US$119 million) in reparations to 7,000 victims, ordering the government to pay half and the convicted agents the other half. It ordered the government to erect a monument “in not more than one year” to honour those killed under Habré and to create a museum in the former political police (DDS) headquarters, where detainees were tortured. The government has not complied with any of these orders.

The African Union and the Chadian government need to come together and implement these court decisions so that the victims, at long last, can receive reparations for what we suffered. We fought for decades for those decisions and now we have to fight again to get the decisions enforced.

Adoumbaye Dam Pierre, AVCRHH's president & a former prisoner under Habré

Habré’s one-party rule, from 1982 to 1990, was marked by widespread atrocities, including targeting certain ethnic groups and committing severe sexual and gender-based violence.

The organizations calling on the African Union and the government of Chad to make reparations are Amnesty International, the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré (AVCRHH), the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (ATPDH), Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, REDRESS, and the Rose Lokissim Association.

The post Chad: Still No Reparations for Hissène Habré’s Victims appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Violent clashes occurred this morning between security forces and demonstrators in N’Djamena and elsewhere in the country. According to initial testimonies collected by Amnesty International, the security forces fired live ammunition at demonstrators, just like in April 2021 and in Abeche in January 2022, killing several dozen people including a child. We call on the Chadian authorities to immediately halt the excessive use of force against demonstrators.

Amnesty International repeats that the use of force to maintain order must be strictly necessary and proportional, and that the use of firearms is prohibited except in cases of imminent danger of death or serious injury.

Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's Regional Director for West and Central Africa

The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is enshrined in national and international texts, including the guidelines of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. These provisions must be respected to allow each person to express themselves freely and without fear for their life.

The authorities must take immediate action to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for unlawful killings.”

Background

On 20 October 2022, demonstrations were held in N’Djamena and elsewhere in the country to denounce the extension of the transition period for a further two years and to demand the transfer of power to civilians. Hundreds of people answered the call of several opposition parties and civil society associations.

The Prime Minister announced a provisional toll of 50 dead and 300 injured. He announced that a Judicial Commission would be set up to determine responsibility.

The post Chad: Repression of demonstrations must stop immediately appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka’s arrest is a crucial step forward in the fight against impunity in the Central African Republic. He stands accused of using child soldiers and committing murder, torture and extermination in his role as leader of the anti-Balaka armed group. He must face trial.

“CAR authorities and the MINUSCA must step up their efforts to arrest other individuals wanted for war crimes by the ICC or the Special Criminal Court, many of whom remain in the country and have long evaded legal consequences for their actions.”

Background

On 14 March 2022, Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka was surrendered to the ICC by the Chadian authorities and transferred to The Hague. He is suspected of criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the anti-Balaka armed group in CAR in 2013 and 2014, while he was the national coordinator of their operations.

Since 2014, the ICC has been investigating the crimes, which were allegedly committed amid the armed conflict that has raged in CAR since 2012. The SCC, a UN-backed hybrid court that began operating in 2018, is also able to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law committed in CAR since 2003.

The delay in executing arrest warrants, often due to practical difficulties or a lack of political will, remains one of the biggest obstacles to pursuing justice for crimes under international law in CAR. Amnesty International documented the issue in its briefing ‘One step forward, two steps back’, published in December 2021.

The post Chad/CAR: Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka must face justice at the ICC appeared first on Amnesty International.

“The crackdown on this weekend’s protest is the latest in a series of blatant restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful association we have documented for years in Chad.

When authorities’ attempts to ban the protest did not deter demonstrators, security forces took over the main streets in the capital N’Djamena and fired tear gas, injuring several people, and arresting dozens of demonstrators who have been released on the same day.

Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher

“On the morning of the protest, text messages and Internet networks were reportedly slowed down for hours in some areas of N’Djamena, confirming the link between disruptions in Internet access and moments of political contestation we have been observing over the past five years in the country.

“Since the beginning of the political transition, several demonstrations were banned and suppressed by the authorities. Between 27 April and 19 May 2021,  at least 16 people were killed during protests in N’Djamena and the southern town of Moundou.  The investigations’ outcomes are still awaited.

“Authorities in Chad must end this campaign of intimidation against critical voices, respect and protect the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The apparent restrictions on Internet connectivity which took place around the protest must be investigated, and people in Chad must be allowed to freely access and exchange information online.”

Background

Since the death of former President Idriss Deby Itno in April 2021, Chad has been ruled by the Transitional Military Council (Conseil militaire de transition in French) led by his son, Mahamat Idriss Deby.

On Saturday 9 October 2021, ‘Wakit Tama’, a coalition of civil society organizations and opposition parties in Chad, called for a protest to denounce the transitional authorities’ governance.

The authorities, evoking “risks of disturbing public order”, banned the protest, but  people gathered in the capital N’Djamena.  According to ‘Wakit Tama’s’ spokespersons, at least 10 people were injured by tear gas and 45 others were arrested during the  protest repression.

On 2 October, police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators starting to gather around the headquarters of the opposition political party  ‘Les Transformateurs’ . The police  also dispersed demonstrators in other areas of Ndjamena. According to the authorities, the agreed itinerary for the protest has not been respected. .

On 10 October, Wakit Tama  said in a statement that five of its main leaders were to be heard by the judicial police today, after police reportedly raided the headquarters of ‘Les Transformateurs’.

The post Chad: Repression of protests continues as authorities fail to protect right to freedom of expression appeared first on Amnesty International.

Based on testimonies from victims, their close relatives, and human rights associations, Amnesty International can confirm that at least 16 people were killed in the capital N’Djamena and the southern town of Moundou during protests which took place between 27 April and 19 May. Dozens of others were injured and at least 700 were arrested, some of whom were released shortly after the protests which were organized by the Wakit Tama coalition.

While freedom of peaceful assembly may be subject to limitations under specific conditions, Amnesty International considers the authorities’ reasons for banning these demonstrations, namely the possible disturbance of public order, disproportionate.

We spoke to protestors, some of whom had been surrounded by three groups of defense and security forces constituted of gendarmes and police officers. One of them said it was a police officer who shot at him, causing injuries to his left knee.

Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher.

“We spoke to protestors, some of whom had been surrounded by three groups of defense and security forces constituted of gendarmes and police officers. One of them said it was a police officer who shot at him, causing injuries to his left knee,” said Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher.

‘’Firearms, which are not a law enforcement tool, should only be used as a last resort, in the face of imminent risk of death or serious injury. Chadian authorities must fully respect the guidelines of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the maintenance of order by law enforcement officials.’’

‘’Their announcement of an investigation into the killings and injuries must be independent and impartial and lead to the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators.”

Amnesty International spoke to victims and witnesses who described the use of lethal force by the defense and security forces. For example, during the 8 May protest in N’Djamena, a police officer shot at protesters and killed one of them, according to an eyewitness.

“There was a group of protesters who agreed to gather at the 6th Arrondissement District in N’Djamena. The place was already occupied by the security forces who started firing tear gas at protesters, a scene which lasted several minutes. That was when a young man on his motorbike was hit by a bullet,” the eyewitness told Amnesty International.

On 19 May, transition authorities announced that the police officer who killed the young protester on his motorbike had been sacked but they did not confirm whether he was subject to legal proceedings.

The 27 April protest in N’Djamena was also the scene of armed police intervention on board pick-up vehicles patrolling the streets. Amnesty International has collected several testimonies from relatives of victims killed during that day’s protest.

The victims were shot and later died in various health facilities. One of the victims was shot three times, twice to the chest. According to witnesses, security forces and plainclothes officers were shooting from an unregistered car with tinted windows.

… On 27 April, a police officer fired two warning shots in the air, then another one picked up his gun, knelt and pointed it at me. I thought it was tear gas canisters … I later realized my left knee was bleeding. …

A victim who was injured told Amnesty International

A victim who was injured told Amnesty International:

“… On 27 April, a police officer fired two warning shots in the air, then another one picked up his gun, knelt and pointed it at me. I thought it was tear gas canisters … I later realized my left knee was bleeding. … I understood that I was shot. I was then taken to the hospital where I was wanted by the police. By the end of the evening, they went to my house, entered the living room, and brutalised my family. They came back early the following morning, around 2 AM to threaten me. “

In the N’Djamena 9th District, other witnesses told Amnesty International they have seen on 27 April armed men in vehicles with tinted windows shooting at the crowd without any reaction from soldiers and police officers who were present at the scene. Three people were injured on 27 April and one of them, a young man of 19, died from his injuries after he was brought to the Walia University Hospital Center (UHC).

“He was 19-years-old. He was shot three times, twice in the left side and once to the thigh. He was evacuated with others injured to the UHC where he died just as we were entering the operating room,” a witness said.

While protests organized by either civil society organizations or opposition parties in Chad have systematically been banned since April, those supporting the Transitional Military Committee (CMT) can freely protest.

A civil society member has confirmed it to Amnesty International:

“Protests organized since April were banned and repressed by the security forces while the one organized in support to the CMT was authorized on 12 May.”

This approach proves that the bans on demonstrations during the same period were disproportionate and in violation of international law.

In a statement released on 7 May, the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration said peaceful protests were only allowed if they met criteria set out by the law.

The Minister of Communication justified the ban on the 8 May protest in N’Djamena by its organizers’ refusal to indicate their itinerary and to set up internal security.

“There have been regular violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Chad for several months. Everyone must be able to safely exercise their right to freedom of peaceful assembly guaranteed by the Chadian and international laws,” said Abdoulaye Diarra.

The post Chad: Announcement of investigation following death of protesters must lead to prosecutions appeared first on Amnesty International.

This announcement is made public as the organization remembers him with great fondness on the anniversary of his passing on 25 May 2018. Following a call for applications issued two months ago, the selection committee received a total of 274 applications. Four candidates – two women and two men – were chosen as the recipients of the first edition of Gaëtan Mootoo Human Rights Defender Fellowship.

Gaetan’s unrelenting pursuit of justice saw him achieve human rights victories where others might have given up. His deep compassion for the individuals whose freedom he sought to secure, and his unwavering dedication and humility, distinguish him as a human rights champion we can all aspire to become.

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Gaetan’s unrelenting pursuit of justice saw him achieve human rights victories where others might have given up. His deep compassion for the individuals whose freedom he sought to secure, and his unwavering dedication and humility, distinguish him as a human rights champion we can all aspire to become. Through his work as a dogged human rights investigator, he changed the lives of untold numbers of people around the world,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“His loss both in the human rights world and as a dear friend is so keenly felt, and together with his family, we honour his memory and his enormous legacy by giving the opportunity to others to follow in his footsteps in demanding a fairer world. I’m delighted to congratulate the successful applicants.”

Through the Gaetan Mootoo Fellowship, Tathi Yende Viviane (Cameroon), Charlin Ulderel Kinouanii Ntnondele (Republic of Congo), Alphonsine Demba (Sénégal), and Faithe Kouassi Sylvain (Côte d’Ivoire) will be sponsored to attend the online René Cassin Foundation International Institute for Human Rights Summer School which will take place from 5-24 July 2021. The online course will focus on international human rights law and international criminal and humanitarian law.

The four awardees, aged between 29 and 31 years, have already embarked on their human rights paths in their respective countries. They have been inspired to follow in Gaëtan’s footsteps and are working to bring justice to their respective communities.  

“The fellowship is an opportunity for me to set up a strong network of human rights defenders. It will also allow me to learn to better practice my passion, which is the defence of human rights in my community,” said Tathi Yende Viviane from Cameroon.

Republic of Congo’s civil society activist Charlin Ulderel Kinouanii Ntnondele’s said his commitment is motivated by the deprivation of his right to education during a five year armed conflict in his country.

“That is why it is necessary for me to attend such a course, which will help me better stand up for human rights and the consolidation of democracy in my country,” he said.Senegalese citizen Alphonsine Demba whose work focuses on women’s and children’s rights found the opportunity of the fellowship helped deepen her knowledge of human rights.

“In the future, I plan to use the knowledge gained during the course to join a large human rights organization and work to better stand up for human rights and campaign for the effective implementation of conventions signed and ratified by our countries,’’ she said.

For his part, young Ivorian human rights defender Sylvain Kouassi Faithe said he will use the training to better defend the rights of minority groups and prevent human rights violations in the central region of the country where he lives.

Gaëtan’s human rights research covered many parts of West and Central Africa – Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. His meticulous findings and careful analysis led to the release of many prisoners of conscience, helped secure justice and reparations for many victims, and assisted many affected communities in their processes of recovery after human rights abuses.

“Standing up against human rights violations is more and more challenging as the world around us rapidly transforms and sources of repression mutate. We must keep up with the pace of change, address the issues of today but be astute, adaptive and engaging too so that we also defend human rights for the future,” said Agnes Callamard.

“We must foster and equip young activists and young leaders now. We must share knowledge, exchange and collaborate with them to help empower their action in their human rights realities. And we must remove old barriers and open new doors so that their strength, innovation and vision drive the global human rights movement today and tomorrow. This bursary is an important step towards that human rights reality.”

The post Amnesty International announces awardees of human rights bursary in honour of late Gaëtan Mootoo appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Yesterday’s protests in Chad have led to the death of at least five people, according to the authorities. Many more people were also injured and arrested.

We urge authorities to launch impartial and independent investigations into the circumstances of these deaths and bring to justice anyone suspected to be responsible of unlawful killing.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Deputy Director

“We urge authorities to launch impartial and independent investigations into the circumstances of these deaths and bring to justice anyone suspected to be responsible of unlawful killing. 

“These protests are happening in response to the seizure of power by a Transitional Military Council (CMT in French), two weeks ago, after Chad’s President Idriss Déby died.

“As opposition and civil society organizations have renewed their call for new protests today, authorities must ensure people can safely exercise their right to peaceful assembly. No one should face arrest for simply exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and all those detained for that reason should be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Background

A coalition of civil society organizations and opposition parties also known as ‘Wakit Tama’- meaning the time has come in local Arabic language- called yesterday for protests denouncing what they consider an “institutional coup” and “dynastic succession” following the seizure of power by the CMT headed by Mahamat Idriss Déby the son of President Idriss Déby.

The CMT has banned the protests and security forces cracked down on protesters leading to four deaths in the capital N’Djamena and one in the southern town of Moundou, according to prosecutors. However, the Convention of Human Rights in Chad – a group member of ‘Waakit Tama’ – said nine people died.

‘Wakit Tama’ has renewed its calls for more protests today. Earlier this year, Amnesty International documented a rapidly shrinking political and civic space in Chad with bans on demonstrations and arbitrary arrests.

The post Chad: Deaths following violent crackdown on protests must be investigated  appeared first on Amnesty International.

Chadian authorities have stepped up restrictions on civic space in recent months with long internet shutdowns, arbitrary arrests, and violations of freedoms of protest and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said ahead of the 11 April presidential election.

Over the past five years, authorities have deliberately restricted the internet during mobilisations organized by dissenting voices. This has accumulated to almost two and half years of internet cuts or disruptions since 2016, according to several organisations.

We have seen in the last five years, a close link between internet cuts and Chad’s important moments of political dispute. These disruptions impacting all internet users undermine freedom of expression.

Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International’s Central Africa researcher.

« We have seen in the last five years, a close link between internet cuts and Chad’s important moments of political dispute. These disruptions impacting all internet users undermine freedom of expression, » said Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International’s Central Africa researcher. 

« Given the political, economic and social context that Chad is facing, authorities should refrain from blocking access to the internet and ensure the right to freedom of opinion and expression before, during and after the presidential election.”

Regular internet disruptions since 2016

Organizations like Netblocks, Internet Sans Frontières and Access Now have reported a combined figure of 911 days of internet disruptions between the last presidential election in 2016 and 2021. These figures include days Chadians spent without internet and those they spent with restrictions on access to some social networks.

Internet access, phone calls and phone text messages were again disrupted for two weeks in the last two months. In 2020 alone, the country experienced 192 days of internet disruptions.

Human rights activists told Amnesty International that most of the restrictions took place during politically sensitive moments, such as the 2016 presidential election, demonstrations in support of dissenting voices, and the national forum for institutional reforms organized in November 2020 by the authorities.

“During the 2016 presidential election, authorities took isolation measures and censorship to prevent opposition candidates from discussing between them the way the ballots were conducted,” one human rights activist, based in the capital N’Djamena, told Amnesty International.

In July 2020, access to social media was restricted following the killing of a young mechanic in N’Djamena market by an army officer. In February 2021, it was restricted again during a raid by security forces on the house of an opposition presidential candidate who had refused to respond to a judicial summons. WhatsApp and Facebook are the most targeted social networks according to an activist. 

Activists prevented from speaking out against human rights violations

The restrictions of the internet and access to social media networks are taking place in a context of increasing use of social networks by the population, who want to stay informed on the news in the country.

Human rights activists told Amnesty International that internet restrictions have seriously impeded their ability to expose human rights violations and peacefully mobilize action in protest against them. They also limit the visibility of their actions via the internet.

‘’ The government is accountable for these internet cuts which impact my activities as an activist. Using the internet is the only way we can inform national and international opinion of the government’s actions,” another activist said.

A member of a civil society organisation told Amnesty International that the persistent internet cuts have a severe impact on youths who use social networks as their main information channels. “That’s why when the internet is cut, few people are able to respond to calls for protests,” he added.

Amnesty International

The authorities have regularly cited internal security and the maintenance of public order as reasons to justify shutting down the internet. In March 2018, they justified the internet restriction for security reasons and the context of ‘’ terrorist threats’’.  New restrictions again took place in July 2020 and authorities claimed they were temporary measures to limit the spreading of hate messages and division.

One user said that many Chadians use the internet for online sale, and the cuts have social and financial repercussions on them. According to figures documented by several organisations, the restrictions on access to internet cost the country 23 million USD between July and December 2020.

Violation of international law

Since August 2018, several organisations in Chad have taken initiatives to fight against internet restrictions and cuts. They have set up a pool of lawyers and lodged a complaint against the two local mobile operators, Airtel and Tigo, for blocking access to social media networks. In October 2020, a court dismissed the complaint on the grounds that it was “unfounded”.

In a 27 June 2016 resolution, the UN Human Rights Council stated that measures aimed at preventing or deliberately disrupting access to information or the dissemination of information online are an international human rights law violation. It called on all states to refrain from and end such practices.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa also said cuts to the internet and social media violate the rights to freedom of expression and access to information. In a 29 January 2019 statement, he added that citizens should not be penalized by internet cuts when demonstrating, calling for political and economic reforms or during electoral processes or ballots.

Repression of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly

Amnesty International documented numerous attacks on freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly over the past year in Chad.  

On 6 February 2021, several opposition members, unemployed youths, and human rights defenders who wanted to organize a protest on the country’s economic, social, and political situation were arrested. The protest was banned. Some of them were sentenced while others given suspended sentences. 

In December 2020, a human rights defender was arrested and taken into custody after being invited by a private radio station to comment on the ban of a civil society forum on institutional reforms that was a direct response to one organized a month earlier by the government. 

Access to the internet is indissociable from freedom of expression. The Chadian authorities should guarantee to all their fundamental rights in accordance with international law and the country’s laws.

Abdoulaye Diarra

During his interview, the police stormed the radio premises and arrested several people including journalists who were there at the same time for training. The journalists were released hours after their arrest.

“Access to the internet is indissociable from freedom of expression. The Chadian authorities should guarantee to all their fundamental rights in accordance with international law and the country’s laws,” said Abdoulaye Diarra.

The post Chad: Internet shutdowns impeding freedom of expression appeared first on Amnesty International.

“Authorities in Chad must urgently launch an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the use of fatal force during a raid on opposition presidential contender Yaya Dillo’s house and the killing of his family members.

“Yaya Dillo has stated that his mother, his son and three of his supporters were killed during a raid by security forces. According to the government, the police attempted to serve two judicial warrants and responded to gunfire coming from Dillo’s house, and that two people were killed and five injured, including three members of the security forces.

These killings highlight the high tension in Chad ahead of next month’s election characterized by human rights violations with bans on demonstrations and arbitrary arrests already in place.

Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher

“These killings highlight the high tension in Chad ahead of next month’s election characterized by human rights violations with bans on demonstrations and arbitrary arrests already in place. There are also reports of an internet shut down, in what is an unjustified attack on media freedom and freedom of expression.

“Against such a volatile backdrop and fearing wider violence, we call on the Chadian authorities to set up an independent and effective investigation of the police use of fatal force to establish the facts and to ensure that anyone criminally responsible is held to account through a fair trial. The authorities must also reverse the rapidly shrinking political and civic space in Chad by ensuring the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and by keeping the internet running.”

Background

Yaya Dillo, an opposition candidate in Chad’s 11 April presidential election, said his house was raided by security forces and the army on Sunday, and that his mother, his son and three of his relatives were killed in the attack.

In a statement, the government spokesperson and Minister of Communication said the raid followed “the systematic refusal for 48 hours by Mr. Yaya Dillo, supported by a group of armed people, to respond to two judicial warrants, challenging the authority of the state by opposing armed resistance”.

The Minister of Communication said defense and security forces attempting to execute these warrants were shot at from Dillo’s house and had no other choice but to act in self-defense to protect themselves. He said two people were killed and five injured, including three members of the security forces.

The post Chad: Authorities must investigate raid and killings at presidential contender’s house appeared first on Amnesty International.

While a platform bringing together political parties, human rights associations, and civil society, called for a protest on 6 February, the authorities issued a decree on 4 February banning all demonstrations across the country, citing fears of public disorder. At least 14 people arrested on 6 February were charged yesterday with “assault and battery, disturbing public order and destruction of state property” before being remanded in custody in the capital N’Djamena. Around 30 others were sentenced yesterday to between two and three months in prison in the southern town of Moundou where some of them were arrested on 4 February while preparing the protest.

Over the last three months, authorities in Chad have several times banned demonstrations in the country and carried out arbitrary arrests. These bans are unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher.

“Over the last three months, authorities in Chad have several times banned demonstrations in the country and carried out arbitrary arrests. These bans are unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” said Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher.

“The situation confirms the rapidly shrinking civic space in Chad, as elections approach despite the Constitution and international law guaranteeing every citizen the right to freedom of association and demonstration. The authorities must drop the charges and release all those arrested solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly in N’Djaména and elsewhere.”

According to information received by Amnesty International, police on 6 February fired tear gas at protesters in N’Djamena to disperse a gathering which was starting to form.

Some protesters including the leader of the opposition party “Les Transformateurs” are still at the US Embassy where they took refuge when police started firing tear gas.

In November and December last year, Amnesty International documented the resurgence of attacks on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly in Chad, denouncing and calling on the authorities to end restrictive measures imposed on opposition parties by a police unit.

The post Chad: Opposition members and human rights activists banned from freely protesting ahead of election appeared first on Amnesty International.

The African Union has yet to set up a Trust Fund to compensate victims of the former Chadian president Hissène Habré, four years after his historic conviction in Senegal, a coalition of international and regional human rights organizations said today.

On May 30, 2016, Habré was convicted of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture, including sexual violence and rape, by an African Union-backed Senegalese court and sentenced to life in prison.

Habré’s victims fought relentlessly for 25 years to bring him and his henchmen to justice, and were awarded millions of dollars, but they haven’t seen one cent in reparations.

Jacqueline Moudeina, lead counsel for Habré’s victims.

When an appellate court confirmed Habré’s conviction in April 2017 and awarded 82 billion CFA francs (approximately US$150 million) to 7,396 named victims, it mandated an African Union Trust Fund to raise the money by searching for Habré’s assets and soliciting contributions. Although the African Union adopted the Trust Fund’s statute in 2017 and has allocated $5 million to the Fund, it has yet to become operational.

“Habré’s victims fought relentlessly for 25 years to bring him and his henchmen to justice, and were awarded millions of dollars, but they haven’t seen one cent in reparations,” said Jacqueline Moudeina, lead counsel for Habré’s victims.

“Many of the victims who scored these historic victories are in dire straits and in desperate need.”

In February 2020, AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat promised “in the near future, to convene a Resource Mobilisation Conference to maintain this Fund.” There has been no progress since then, however, said the advocates.

The Habré trial is exceptional in the sense that the courts of one country tried the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes. It was widely considered a milestone for justice in Africa.

In a separate trial in Chad, a court on March 25, 2015, convicted 20 Habré-era security agents on murder and torture charges and awarded 75 billion CFA francs (approximately $139 million) in reparations to 7,000 victims, ordering the government to pay half and the convicted agents the other half.

The government of Chad has also failed to make those reparations, the advocates said.

Habré, who is accused by a Chadian truth commission of looting tens of millions of dollars from the Chadian treasury, has paid no damages himself.

The African Union and the Chadian government need to implement these court decisions so that the victims, at long last, can receive reparations for what we suffered.

Clément Abaifouta, president of the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré (AVCRHH).

“The African Union and the Chadian government need to implement these court decisions so that the victims, at long last, can receive reparations for what we suffered,” said Clément Abaifouta, president of the Association of Victims of the Crimes of Hissène Habré (AVCRHH), who as a prisoner under Habré was forced to dig graves for many of his fellow inmates.

“We fought for decades for those decisions and now the African Union and our government have made us fight again to get the decisions enforced.”

Habré’s one-party rule, from 1982-1990, was marked by widespread atrocities, including targeting certain ethnic groups. DDS files recovered by Human Rights Watch in 2001 reveal the names of 1,208 people who were killed or died in detention, and 12,321 victims of human rights violations. The current president, Idriss Déby Itno, deposed Habré, who fled to Senegal.

Habré is serving his life sentence in a Senegalese prison.

The groups making the call to the African Union also include the African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO in French), the Afrikajom Center, Amnesty International, the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Redress, and the Senegalese League for Human Rights.

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In an analysis report “The use of national legislation to restrict the right to freedom of association’’, the organizations highlight how authorities missed the opportunity to include their recommendations on bringing the law into line with Chad’s international and regional obligations as well as the country’s own Constitution.

The authorities have completely disregarded all our recommendations on reforming this repressive law and, in so doing, demonstrated their lack of commitment to respecting human rights

Balkissa Ide Siddo, Amnesty International Central Africa Researcher

“The authorities have completely disregarded all our recommendations on reforming this repressive law and, in so doing, demonstrated their lack of commitment to respecting human rights,” said Balkissa Ide Siddo, Amnesty International Central Africa Researcher.

“The environment in which civil society associations are working will continue to deteriorate unless the authorities take concrete actions to change this law and adopt the recommendations they failed to include.”

President Idriss Deby Itno promulgated a new Constitution in May 2018 as part of the new Fourth Republic of Chad. In June, the authorities amended a number of laws including the Ordinance that regulates associations, failing to take into account recommendations made by national and international human rights organizations.

The new law imposes a blanket ban on all “regionalist or community associations” without providing any legal grounds or explanation, and maintains a previous provision which requires that citizens creating associations must receive a prior authorization from the Ministry of Territorial Administration before they can start operating.

The new law also prescribes prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to 4,573 Euros (3 million CFA) for people involved in the creation and administration of “unauthorized and unregistered associations”.

“The way in which this particular provision is drafted gives the authorities broad discretionary powers, which may result in the arbitrary interference with the right to freedom of association,” said Mahamat Ibedou Nour, spokesperson for ‘’Collectif ça suffit”.

“There is a high risk that this could involve the denial of registration based on spurious and politically motivated grounds, especially when the applying organization is deemed undesirable by the authorities,” added Céline Narmadji, spokesperson for ‘’Coalition Trop c’est Trop”.

The new law also limits the right to form and join federations of associations to those with the same nationality, similar aims and activity focused on identical problems. Further it requires that associations wishing to form a federation obtain a prior authorization to start operating.

There is another high risk that the authorities use this new law to legalize the fact that they have prohibited all activities of federations of associations such as the Mouvement d’Eveil Citoyen (MECI) which brings together civil society organizations, political parties and trade unions campaigning against the mismanagement of public funds and calling for democratic changes.

Another draconian provision contained in this law discriminates foreign associations including by limiting in time their authorization to operate and requiring them to renew it on a regular basis. It also stipulates that the authorization to foreign associations may be withdrawn at any time without any legal basis, or legal mechanisms to challenge such decision before a court.

“As we feared, the process to reform this law did not include a genuine consultation with national and international human rights organizations and this has resulted in hardening draconian provisions which unlawfully restrict the right to freedom of association,” said Purrhus Banadji Bogeul, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Collectif des Associations de Droits Humains” (ADH in French).

The new law also unduly restricts the right to freedom of expression of associations and its members by prohibiting the involvement of human rights organizations, religious associations and student associations in “political” activities.

Under the new law, associations are only allowed to seek funding and resources from a limited list of sources – namely members, membership fees, donations, bequests or grants. This violates the right of associations to seek and secure funding and resources.

There are also provisions under which the state may control the management of the property of an association and may, at any time, be presented with the books and records.

We call on the Chadian authorities to ensure that the right to freedom of association is enjoyed by everyone without discrimination by repealing all the provisions contained in the new law that unduly restrict this right

Alain Didah, spokesperson of Iyina Citizen Movement

These last provisions may lead to unjustified interference in the governance of associations to further curb their activities, especially those seen as critical of the authorities.

“We call on the Chadian authorities to ensure that the right to freedom of association is enjoyed by everyone without discrimination by repealing all the provisions contained in the new law that unduly restrict this right,” said Alain Didah, spokesperson of Iyina Citizen Movement.

SIGNATORIES 1. Amnesty International
2. Mouvement Iyina
3. Collectif ça suffit 
4. Collectif des Associations des Droits Humains 
5. Coalition Trop c’est Trop 

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