Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré | |
|---|---|
حسين حبري | |
Habré in 1989 | |
| 5th President of Chad | |
| In office 29 October 1982 – 1 December 1990 Acting: 7 June – 29 October 1982 | |
| Prime Minister | Djidingar Dono Ngardoum (1982) |
| Preceded by | Goukouni Oueddei |
| Succeeded by | Idriss Déby |
| 1st Prime Minister of Chad | |
| In office 29 August 1978 – 23 March 1979 | |
| President | Felix Malloum |
| Preceded by | Office established; François Tombalbaye (as Prime Minister of French Chad) |
| Succeeded by | Djidingar Dono Ngardoum |
| 2nd Vice President of Chad | |
| In office 29 August 1978 – 23 March 1979 | |
| President | Felix Malloum |
| Preceded by | Mamari Djimé Ngakinar |
| Succeeded by | Negue Djogo |
| Leader of the UNIR | |
| In office 24 June 1984 – 3 December 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Party abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 August 1942 Faya-Largeau, French Chad, French Equatorial Africa |
| Died | 24 August 2021 (aged 79) Dakar, Senegal |
| Resting place | Yoff Muslim cemetery |
| Party | UNIR (1984–1990) |
| Other political affiliations | FROLINAT (1972–1984) |
| Spouses |
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| Alma mater | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Chad |
| Branch | Chadian Armed Forces |
| Service years | 1972–1990 |
| Conflicts | |
| Criminal details | |
| Criminal information | |
| Convictions | Crimes against humanity See list
|
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | >40,000 alleged Chadian dissidents |
Span of crimes | 1982–1990 |
Date apprehended | 15 November 2005 |
| Imprisoned at | Prison du Cap Manuel |
Hissène Habré (Arabic: حسين حبري Ḥusaīn Ḥabrī, Chadian Arabic: pronounced [hiˈsɛn ˈhabre]; French pronunciation: [isɛn abʁe]; 13 August 1942 – 24 August 2021), also spelled Hissen Habré, was a Chadian politician and convicted war criminal who served as the fifth president of Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990.
A member of the Toubou ethnic group from northern Chad, Habré joined FROLINAT rebels in the first Chadian Civil War against the southern-dominated Chadian government. Due to a rift with fellow rebel commander Goukouni Oueddei, Habré and his Armed Forces of the North rebel army briefly defected to Felix Malloum's government against Oueddei before turning against Malloum, who resigned in 1979. Habré was then given the position of Minister of Defense under Chad's new transitional coalition government, with Oueddei as President. Their alliance quickly collapsed, and Habré's forces overthrew Oueddei in 1982.
Having become the country's new president, Habré created the National Union for Independence and Revolution (UNIR) as the country's sole legal party in 1984. His dictatorship was notorious for widespread human rights abuses by his secret police, the Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS). He was brought to power with the support of France and the United States, who provided training, arms, and financing throughout his rule due to his opposition to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He led the country during the Libyan-Chadian conflict, culminating in victory during the Toyota War from 1986 to 1987 with French support. He was overthrown three years later in the 1990 Chadian coup d'état by Idriss Déby and fled into exile in Senegal.
In May 2016, Habré was found guilty of human-rights abuses, including rape, sexual slavery, and ordering the killing of 40,000 people by an international tribunal in Senegal in collaboration with the African Union and sentenced to life in prison. He was the first former head of state to be convicted for human rights abuses in the court of another nation. He died on 24 August 2021, after testing positive for COVID-19.