Call for Africa 'dictator' court

Hissene Habre's regime is accused of murders and torture

Senegal's president has called for Africa to set up its own tribunal to hear cases such as that levelled at Chad's former President Hissene Habre.

Mr Habre is wanted in Belgium for alleged abuses committed under his rule and has lived in Senegal for 15 years.

President Abdoulaye Wade's comments come after Mr Habre was released from jail but allowed to stay in Senegal until the AU decides on his fate.

A Senegalese court said it did not have the power to decide on his extradition.

'Africa's Pinochet'

Mr Wade told journalists on Wednesday that there was "no reason Africa should not have its own tribunal" to judge cases such as Mr Habre's.

"I have no reason to keep Hissene Habre but I'm not going to... send him either to a country of his choice where he is guaranteed impunity," he said.

POTENTIAL TRIALS Chad's Hissene Habre lives in Senegal Ethiopia's Mengistu Haile Mariam lives in Zimbabwe Liberia's Charles Taylor lives in Nigeria

On Sunday, Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio said that Mr Habre could remain in Senegal until the next African Union summit in January.

African heads of state would then to be asked to decide on Mr Habre's fate.

Human Rights Watch has called Mr Habre "Africa's Pinochet". His administration has been accused of murdering and torturing political opponents.

Alleged victims filed complaints under Belgium's universal jurisdiction law, which allows Brussels judges to prosecute human rights offences anywhere.

Mr Habre denies any knowledge of atrocities under his rule between 1982 and 1990.