In a bold affront to human rights advocacy, Chadian authorities forcefully obstructed a conference in the capital, N’Djamena, on October 2, 2024. The conference, organized to discuss justice for victims of Hissène Habré’s brutal regime, was shut down by police, who also detained and expelled a keynote speaker, former Human Rights Watch counsel Reed Brody. Brody, who played a pivotal role in prosecuting Habré, was scheduled to address the event, co-organized by the United States Embassy’s cultural and press section in collaboration with the Center for Development Study and Training (Centre d’Etude et de Formation pour le Développement).
Just before the conference began, police stormed the venue and demanded Brody’s passport. Witnesses overheard officers stating, “We are putting you on a plane out of the country tonight.” Although the initial attempt was to forcibly remove him, negotiations ensued, resulting in Brody being taken to the police intelligence headquarters. After hours of questioning, he was escorted to his hotel to pack his belongings and promptly expelled from Chad, two days before his planned departure.
This heavy-handed action against a figure known for championing human rights underscores Chad’s reluctance to confront its dark history. “Targeting human rights activists for speaking up for justice only underscores the magnitude of the continued injustices that Habré’s victims endure,” said Tirana Hassan, Executive Director at Human Rights Watch. “Rather than silencing those advocating for accountability, the government should focus on fulfilling its promises to compensate the long-suffering victims.”
The conference was intended to feature not only Brody but also Jacqueline Moudeina, a celebrated Chadian activist who has long campaigned for justice for the victims of Habré’s regime. The discussion was meant to highlight the enduring struggle for justice and the progress—or lack thereof—since Habré’s conviction for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture by an African Union-backed court in Senegal in 2016.
Despite Habré’s death in 2021, his victims’ fight for redress continues. Chad’s government has made some token payments to survivors and the families of those killed, but the amounts remain only a fraction of what the courts in Senegal and Chad awarded. Moreover, the government has failed to honor a court order to establish a memorial for the victims and a museum at the former political police headquarters where many were tortured.
The blocking of this conference is symbolic of a deeper issue. While international organizations and local activists in Chad have regularly organized similar events without prior authorization, the suppression of this particular discussion reveals a resistance to addressing the painful legacy of Habré’s one-party rule, marked by ethnic persecution and systematic violence.
As the son of the former president, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno continues his controversial rule after seizing power following his father’s death in 2021, it appears that Chad’s government remains unwilling to fully confront past atrocities. Though recent payments of $16.5 million to 10,700 victims are a step forward, these reparations fall short of the full compensation ordered by the courts. Many victims still await the justice and acknowledgment they have fought for over decades.
Human Rights Watch and other international organizations have called on Chad’s government to engage in meaningful dialogue with human rights defenders, rather than stifling their efforts. “The government should support activists like Brody and Moudeina, who are pressing for accountability not just for Chad, but for victims of serious crimes worldwide,” Hassan added. “Only by confronting its past can Chad hope to build a more just future.”
