Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on May 16 that former Chadian prime minister and opposition leader Succès Masra was arrested at his residence in the capital N'Djamena, urging authorities to immediately release Masra unless they can substantiate the charges against him. HRW's Central Africa director Lewis Mudge stated: "The Chadian government should be seeking ways to dialogue with the political opposition, rather than shutting them down through the use of intimidation and violence."

Masra is the head of Chad's main opposition party, Les Transformateurs (The Transformers). His arrest follows intercommunal violence in Logone Occidental province that left at least 42 people dead on May 14. According to public prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye, Masra is accused of inciting hatred and violence through social media posts allegedly connected to the clashes at Mandakao village. While clashes between herders and farmers are common in southern Chad, intercommunal violence has become more acute over the past several years due to aridification of the region, resulting in the deaths of scores of people. 

Masra, 41, is currently being held by judicial police in N’Djamena. Les Transformateurs described Masra's arrest as an abduction, stating that it was carried out "outside any known judicial procedures and in blatant violation of the civil and political rights guaranteed by the constitution."

Tensions have been mounting since the May 2024 presidential election, in which Masra ran against incumbent Mahamat Idriss Déby. Déby assumed power in 2021 after the battlefield death of his father, longtime president Idriss Déby Itno. Masra, initially appointed prime minister in January 2024 in a move to ease political tensions, resigned shortly after the contested election.

The Chadian government's history of violently suppressing opposition is well-documented. In October 2022, security forces killed and injured scores of demonstrators during anti-government protests, later detaining hundreds and subjecting many to abuse in remote prisons. In February 2024, Socialist Party leader Yaya Dillo was killed during a security raid on his party's headquarters; the incident remains officially unexplained.

From JURIST, May 18. Used with permission. Internal links added.