Chad opposition leader arrested over deadly clashes
Chad’s former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Succès Masra, has been arrested for allegedly inciting violence linked to Wednesday’s clashes in the southwest that left 42 dead. Public Prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye accused Masra of spreading hateful messages on social media.
Masra’s Transformers party denounced his detention as a “kidnapping,” claiming it bypassed legal procedures. A vocal critic of President Mahamat Déby, Masra had contested last year’s election results, alleging fraud after Déby officially won 61% of the vote.
The violence erupted in Mandakao village, near Cameroon, reportedly over a land dispute between Ngambaye farmers and Fulani herders.
Authorities say social media posts fuelled tensions, urging civilians to arm themselves. Over 80 others have been detained.
Masra briefly served as interim prime minister in 2024 before his party boycotted December’s legislative polls over transparency concerns.
The Déby family has ruled Chad for over 30 years, with Mahamat Déby taking power after his father’s 2021 death.
The arrest intensifies political tensions in a nation grappling with instability.
