Chad's former Prime Minister and prominent opposition figure, Succès Masra, has been taken into custody following violent clashes that erupted on Wednesday in the southwestern part of the country. According to public prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye, Masra is being accused of disseminating hateful messages on social media that allegedly incited the violence, resulting in at least 42 fatalities.
Masra's political party, the Transformers, described the arrest as a "kidnapping" by military personnel in the early hours, vehemently condemning the detention as a violation of judicial norms. Serving briefly as the interim prime minister of Chad's transitional government from January to May 2024, Masra has been an outspoken critic of President Mahamat Déby. He previously claimed that he rightfully won the last presidential election, which the official results dismissed, awarding Déby 61% of the vote.
The violent incidents occurred in Mandakao village in the Logone Occidental province, near the border with Cameroon, and are believed to have been fueled by rising tensions over land disputes between local Ngambaye farmers and Fulani herders. Kedelaye indicated that provocative messages circulated on social platforms prompted calls for the population to take up arms against one another.
In relation to the clashes, over 80 additional individuals have also been detained. The Déby family has maintained a hold on Chad's leadership for more than three decades, with the military taking power following the death of former leader Idriss Déby Itno in 2021. As political tensions persist, the situation on the ground remains volatile, and concerns about the government's transparency and the safety of opposition voices continue to heighten.
