The African Union, which in July 2006 mandated Senegal to try former Chadian president Hissène Habré *IJT-50+, has designated a special representative to speed up preparation of his trial, reported the Journal du dimanche website on November 22. It appointed Robert Dossou, former minister of foreign affairs and justice of Benin. In addition, on November 26, lawyers for the victims' families obtained an audience with the Senegalese government. "This [Monday] morning, we met with the director of the office of the minister of justice who assured us that the investigations would begin immediately," attorney William Bourdon told the AFP. However, a trial is not foreseeable before 2009, and the issue of funding remains unresolved. Initially, the minister of justice estimated the total budget at 66 million euros, but then Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade requested a new estimate, which came to 29 million euros. A delegation of European experts—one French and one Dutch—is expected to arrive in Dakar in the latter half of January to "provide financial and technical assistance", according to AFP.