Johannesburg: A former African leader will be held to account before an African court for the first time on Monday when Hissene Habre, the fallen dictator of Chad, stands trial for allegedly presiding over the deaths of 40,000 people.

Habre, 72, will appear before the Special African Chamber in Senegal's capital, Dakar.

Former Chad dictator Hissene Habre, left, leaving court in Dakar, Senegal, in 2005. Credit:AP

The case will be Africa's attempt at meting out its own justice, instead of relying on the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which has been accused of unfairly focusing its efforts on the continent.