By Daniel Flynn

DAKAR, July 6 (Reuters) - Victims of former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre's authoritarian nine-year rule said on Friday they were losing hope Senegal will fulfil its commitment to try him for mass political killings and torture.

At an African Union summit last year, the leaders of the 53-nation bloc entrusted Senegal with prosecuting Habre on suspicion of ordering some 40,000 killings and 200,000 cases of torture during his 1982-1990 rule in the Central African state.

A year later Senegal, where the wealthy Habre has lived since his ouster and has influential allies, has yet to even form a court amid wrangling over the proposed cost of the case.

"For more than a year we have seen that things have not gone forward," said Jacqueline Moudeina, a rights activist and lawyer for some of the victims.

"Today the victims no longer believe that Senegal will bring him to justice," she said, appealing to Chadian President Idriss Deby's government to condemn the delay.

The trial of former Liberian strongman Charles Taylor, which convened last month in The Hague, has revived debate on prosecuting rights abuses in Africa. Habre's trial would be the first in which one developing country has held a trial for rights crimes committed in another.

Rights advocates from Senegal and Chad and from international group Human Rights Watch have called for the African Union to appoint a special envoy to monitor the implementation of its mandate for Habre's trial.

With 17 years having passed since the alleged crimes were committed, some of the victims involved are now dead and rights groups are urging Senegal to press ahead quickly, but Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio stirred concern in January by saying it could take three years to bring Habre to trial.

The final legal obstacle was removed in February when Senegal approved legislation enabling it to prosecute crimes against humanity committed outside the country.

"Everything is in place," said Moudeina. "Only one thing is missing: the political will to try Hissene Habre."

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Alioune Tine, the head of the Dakar-based African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights, said that, with a minister in President Abdoulaye Wade's cabinet working as a lawyer for Habre, there was a conflict of interest.

He called for the African Union to ensure Habre is tried and said Senegal's justice minister should be removed.

"While Cheikh Tidiane Sy is at the head of the justice ministry, there will be no progress," he said.

Sources close to the process said Wade had rejected an initial 40 billion CFA franc ($83 million) budget presented by the justice minister, which included the construction of a new court and 15 highly-paid judges, but was poised to approve a 20 billion CFA franc version.

Tine said there was no need to build a new courtroom for the new trial. Foreign donors, including the European Union, have also expressed willingness to commit resources to the process but say they are still waiting to be contacted by Senegal.

"It is moral torture to be forced to wait for justice like this," said Souleymane Guengueng, a representative for victims who himself was imprisoned for three years under Habre.

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