Ambassador Samantha Power

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations

U.S. Mission to the United Nations

New York City

May 30, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

I welcome the conviction of former Chadian President Hissène Habré for war crimes and crimes against humanity. At long last, the people of Chad have received a measure of overdue justice for Habré’s eight-year rule of murder, torture and rape, during which an estimated 40,000 people were killed. I congratulate the people of Chad whose dogged, decades-long pursuit of justice made this day possible.

Last month in Ndjamena I had the privilege of meeting with some of Habré’s victims and their remarkable lawyers. One man told me of the mass graves he was forced to dig to hold the bodies of his fellow detainees. Their lead lawyer, who still has shrapnel lodged in her leg from a Habré supporter's grenade attack, told me of the continuing climate of fear and intimidation sown by defenders of Habré’s murderous reign.

Their vindication – and sense of relief – today is a lesson to all of us about the importance of perseverance in the face of injustice. It also reminds us of our shared duty to confront dark chapters in our past – including in the United States, where today’s verdict provides an opportunity to reflect on our own connection with what happened in Chad.

The Chadian people today have affirmed for the world that the enduring longing for justice leads to accountability, even for the most powerful. Today’s triumph over impunity serves as a reminder to brutal leaders of today, such as Bashar al-Assad or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, that their crimes will not be forgotten, and that one day too, they’ll face a reckoning for the horrors they have perpetrated.