Former Chad dictator Hissène Habré guilty of crimes against humanity

A judge has declared Chad’s former dictator Hissène Habré guilty and sentenced him to life in prison for crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture.

Judge Gberdao Gustave Kam delivered the verdict and sentence in Monday in a packed Dakar courtroom in Senegal.

The landmark trial is the first time one country has tried the former leader of another for crimes against humanity.

Habré was convicted of being responsible for some 40,000 deaths during his rule, according to a truth commission report.

The ex-dictator has denounced his trial on war crimes charges as being politically motivated.

The Extraordinary African Chambers was formed by Senegal and the African Union to try Habré, who has lived in Senegal's capital since fleeing Chad in 1990.