Senegal has concluded a historic deal with the African Union to create a special court to try Chad's former President Hissene Habre. The new court will be built in Senegal and is expected to be used for future cases involving high-profile Africans accused of grave crimes, according to dpa. Habre is accused of masterminding the deaths of about 40,000 people during his eight-year rule in Chad, which ended when he was ousted from power in 1990. He has been living freely in Dakar ever since, despite repeated attempts over the years by Belgium, which had launched a war crimes investigation against him, to extradite the former dictator. The United Nations' highest court recently told the Senegalese government to either extradite Habre to Belgium or prosecute him. On Thursday, Senegal's Justice Minister Aminata Toure told the news website Seneweb that the new court will be the first of its kind. "Together we're going to write a new page in the history of African justice. It's a sign for all of Africa that we no longer need others to remind us of our responsibilities," Toure said. "There are no more obstacles, we're going to finally complete this long-awaited process," she said. "We will start recruiting African magistrates." The court is expected to be completed by the end of the year. -- SPA
