MWE Correspondent
Succès Masra, former Prime Minister of Chad and a leading opposition figure, was arrested on May 16 following accusations of inciting violence connected to deadly unrest in the country’s southwest.
Masra, who resigned from his post earlier this year after disputing election results, was taken into custody by Chadian security forces. Authorities allege he played a role in stirring up intercommunal clashes that left at least 42 people dead and destroyed numerous homes in the Logone Occidental province on May 14.
According to state prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye, Masra is accused of inciting hatred, calling for armed resistance, and complicity in murder. Other charges include forming or aiding armed groups, desecration of graves, and arson.
Masra’s political party, Les Transformateurs, rejected the accusations, calling the arrest unlawful. The party released a video allegedly showing uniformed men forcibly removing Masra from his residence in N’Djamena without a court warrant. “This is not an arrest—it’s an abduction,” a party spokesperson said in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Masra’s political journey has been closely followed since he emerged as a challenger to President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno. The president, son of late leader Idriss Déby, came to power in 2021 after his father died on the battlefield while fighting rebels. Mahamat Déby’s victory in the May 2025 election was denounced by opposition groups, who cited irregularities and vote manipulation.
Also Read; US-China Trade Talks Signal Possible Reset
Masra had previously fled Chad in 2022 after a government crackdown on protestors led to dozens of deaths. He returned in 2023 under a reconciliation initiative and was named Prime Minister in January 2024. However, his tenure was short-lived. After resigning, he resumed his criticism of what he called a “sham democracy” under the Déby regime.
The charges against him have drawn condemnation from human rights groups. Human Rights Watch described the arrest as part of a broader pattern of suppressing political dissent in Chad. “Masra’s detention signals a backslide in democratic reforms and an alarming return to authoritarian tactics,” the group stated.
The situation remains volatile. Legal proceedings are underway, and Masra’s legal team has vowed to challenge both the charges and the legality of his arrest. Political observers warn that this could deepen divisions in an already fragile political landscape, especially as ethnic and regional tensions continue to simmer.
