Chadian dictator sentenced

This week we witnessed the sentencing of former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre to life in prison for crime against humanity, war crimes and other deeds of utter stupidity. As we forge ahead in building a world that is peaceful, orderly and governed with great wisdom and compassion, there will be many more leaders sentenced. We are not there yet but the road is being built. This is the next step in a long journey towards our dreams of a just society. At moments such as these the victims of these crimes have some consolation yet must still deal with the reality of the past. Each person has a singular journey to travel yet they can find some comfort in the knowledge that the world is slowly getting things set right. In many of the wars taking place right now, there are such actors as Hissene Habre. Bringing these people to account is a challenge. Due to the creation of the International Criminal Court a large step was made. Now we have a former head of state being charged. At some point we knew this was going to happen. There have been many other leaders charged but only a very few brought to trial or convicted or sentenced. Leaders such as Ghaddaffi faced a different court, as did Saddam Hussein. These types of courts are not what is desired in a peaceful world but they are a reality we must be aware of them, even if they are rife with corruption. With International Justice day approaching on 16July, we need to look at what is being built for a better tomorrow.