THE HAGUE, Netherlands, July 20 (UPI) -- Senegal must either put ex-Chadian President Hissene Habre on trial for war crimes soon or extradite him, the U.N. International Court of Justice ruled Friday.
Officials in Belgium want to try Habre and the international court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, ruled unanimously that Senegalese officials should extradite the former leader of Chad "without further delay" if they don't move ahead quickly with their own prosecution, the United Nations said in a release.
Habre, 69, is accused of widespread human rights abuses committed by his regime during the 1980s and faces charges in Belgium.
He also was charged in Senegal in February 2000 but legal and legislative maneuvering has prevented his prosecution, though Senegalese officials say their country's judiciary is competent to handle the case.
Habre ruled Chad from 1982-90, when he was overthrown and went into exile in Senegal. Thousands of Chadians allegedly were tortured and others killed during his regime, the U.N. release said.
