Former Chadian Prime Minister Succès Masra is facing a potentially life-altering legal battle as the government seeks a 25-year prison sentence against him for his alleged role in inciting deadly inter-communal violence in the country’s south. Masra, leader of the opposition party Les Transformateurs, was arrested on May 16, 2025, just days after clashes erupted in Mandakao, a village in the Logone Occidental region, leaving at least 76 people dead—many of them women and children. The violence reportedly stemmed from longstanding tensions between Fulani nomadic herders and Ngambaye farmers over land use and grazing rights, a conflict that has plagued Chad for years and claimed over 1,000 lives between 2021 and 2024.
The charges against Masra are grave: dissemination of xenophobic and racist messages, criminal conspiracy, incitement to hatred and revolt, complicity in murder, arson, and desecration of graves. Central to the prosecution’s case is an audio recording from May 2023 in which Masra allegedly calls on southern residents to take up arms. Masra, who hails from the Christian-majority Ngambaye ethnic group and enjoys strong support in the south, has denied all accusations, calling the trial a politically motivated ploy designed to silence dissent.
Masra’s political trajectory has been marked by dramatic turns. Once a fierce critic of the ruling junta, he was appointed transitional prime minister in January 2024, a move that surprised many observers. However, he resigned just months later to contest the presidential election held in May 2024. In that race, he secured 18.5% of the vote against junta leader Mahamat Idriss Déby’s 61.03%—a result Masra rejected, alleging widespread fraud and manipulation. His party boycotted subsequent legislative elections, citing concerns over transparency and fairness.
The trial, which began on August 7, 2025, has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations and Masra’s legal team, who argue that the proceedings lack credible evidence and violate clauses of a reconciliation agreement signed with the government in October 2023. His lawyer, Saïd Larifou, has condemned the case as arbitrary and politically charged, urging international observers to monitor the situation closely.
Security around the court in N’Djamena has been tight, and journalists have been barred from attending the hearings, adding to concerns about the opacity of the judicial process. The prosecution has also called for the same 25-year sentence for 58 co-defendants and demanded a collective fine of 5 billion CFA francs, along with asset freezes. Nine other defendants may be acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Masra’s arrest and trial come amid a broader crackdown on opposition voices in Chad. Since the death of longtime ruler Idriss Déby Itno in 2021 and the rise of his son Mahamat Idriss Déby, the country has seen increased repression of dissent. Masra himself fled into exile after deadly protests in October 2022, only to return and sign a controversial reconciliation deal with the junta. His current predicament underscores the fragile state of Chad’s democratic transition and the deep divisions that continue to shape its political landscape.