Chad’s former strongman, Hissène Habré, dies of covid-19
He tortured and massacred thousands, but belatedly faced justice
HIS SWIMMING-POOL-turned-prison was known as La Piscine. There, Hissène Habré’s torturers would bind victims’ feet and hands and force them to swallow large volumes of water. Then they would hoist them up and drop them, sending water shooting out of their mouths and noses. They had other methods, too, such as stuffing the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle into a prisoner’s mouth. Across the road from La Piscine were offices used by the American government, which backed Mr Habré’s brutal regime.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Death of a dictator”
Middle East & Africa August 28th 2021
- Kenya’s judges do their duty. A pity about its politicians
- Chad’s former strongman, Hissène Habré, dies of covid-19
- Uganda receives its first flight of evacuees from Afghanistan
- Why Afghan officials have washed up in the United Arab Emirates
- The global ambitions of Lebanon’s hard-pressed olive-oil makers
From the August 28th 2021 edition
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