Chad's ex-PM Succes Masra jailed 20 years over ethnic violence charges, vows to appeal
A court in the capital, N’Djamena, found the opposition leader guilty of inciting clashes between herders and farmers in Logone Occidental in May, which left 35 people dead and six others injured.
Chad’s former prime minister, Succes Masra, was on Saturday sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly spreading racist and xenophobic messages that prosecutors said sparked deadly ethnic violence.
A court in the capital, N’Djamena, found the opposition leader guilty of inciting clashes between herders and farmers in Logone Occidental in May, which left 35 people dead and six others injured.
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Sixty-seven co-defendants, most from Masra’s Ngambaye ethnic group, were also convicted in the same case.
The Ngambaye, an ethnic group from southern Chad supported largely by Christians and followers of traditional religions, say the Muslim-led government in N’Djamena often excludes them from key decisions.
Masra has denied the charges, which accuse him of using hate speech, promoting xenophobia, and instigating a massacre.
'Stand firm'
As he left the courtroom on Saturday, he urged his supporters to “stand firm.” His party later said it would issue a “special message” before nightfall.
Speaking to journalists after the verdict, Masra’s lawyer, Kadjilembay Francis, announced that the former PM would appeal, calling the ruling an “unworthy humiliation.” “He has just been subjected to ignominy and unworthy humiliation,” Francis said.
Masra fled Chad in 2022 after security forces violently dispersed his supporters, killing several people.
He returned in 2024 under an amnesty deal and later ran against President Mahamat Deby in the presidential election. Deby was declared the winner with over 61 per cent of the vote, but Masra rejected the results, claiming the election was rigged.
Despite the dispute, Masra accepted the post of prime minister after signing a reconciliation agreement with Deby. He has remained a vocal critic of Chad’s military leaders, who seized power in April 2021 following the death of Deby’s father, Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country for 30 years.
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