French author tackles Africa leaders

President Sassou Nguesso: Accused of 'crimes against humanity'

By Elizabeth Blunt

The trial has ended in Paris of an author and his publisher accused of causing offence to three African leaders.

The presidents of the Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and Gabon brought the case against Francois-Xavier Verschave, author of "Noir Silence" - Black Silence - under a French press law dating back to the 19th century, which makes it a crime to offend a foreign head of state.

The verdict will be given on 25 April.

President Omar Bongo: One of three African heads of state suing the author

It is a charge against which it is almost impossible to defend yourself.

It is clear Mr Verschave has offended Presidents Omar Bongo, Idriss Déby and Sassou Nguesso - indeed it would be odd if they had not been offended.

"Noir Silence" accuses them of crimes ranging from currency trafficking to mass murder.

This charge is not like one of libel, where the defence can argue that the accusations are true. In thie case, true or false makes no difference.

The only possible defence is that the author did not mean to offend.

Track record

In fact Francois-Xavier Verschave and his friends in the campaigning organisation Survie have dedicated themselves to exposing the appalling behaviour of both African governments and the French political establishment which colluded in their crimes.

Their first publication, Francafrique, brought many threats of court action, but in the end only one libel suit - from former French Interior Minister, Charles Pasqua, who took exception to Mr Verschave's description of the deal done with the Sudanese government to extradite Carlos the Jackal.

The judge ruled that a dirty deal had been done, but by the French Government rather than by the minister personally - he technically won the case but got only one franc damages.