N’DJAMENA, Chad – Chad’s former prime minister and prominent opposition figure Succès Masra has been arrested in connection with a deadly outbreak of violence in the country’s south-west, authorities said.
Public prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye said Masra is suspected of spreading inflammatory messages online that incited Wednesday’s clashes in the village of Mandakao, near the Cameroonian border. At least 42 people were killed.
Masra’s Transformers party condemned what it called his “kidnapping” by military officers early Friday, saying the arrest took place “outside of any known judicial procedure.”
The former prime minister is a vocal critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby and contested the outcome of last year’s presidential election, in which official results gave Déby 61% of the vote.
Masra claimed the poll had been rigged and declared himself the rightful winner.
The violence in Mandakao is believed to have been sparked by a land dispute between farmers from the Ngambaye ethnic group and Fulani herders, according to a source cited by AFP. Authorities say more than 80 people have been detained over the unrest.
“Messages were circulated, notably on social networks, calling on the population to arm themselves against other citizens,” Kedelaye said.
Masra served briefly as transitional prime minister from January to May 2024. His party boycotted last December’s legislative elections, citing concerns over transparency.
The Déby family has ruled Chad for over three decades. President Mahamat Déby came to power in 2021 after the military installed him following the death of his father, longtime leader Idriss Déby Itno, in a rebel ambush.
