Chad’s former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Succes Masra, was reportedly abducted by security forces from his home on Friday morning, according to a member of his party [i]. The reason for the detention was not immediately clear.
Legal proceedings against Masra would likely exacerbate concerns about the shrinking democratic space in Chad, where the government has frequently banned demonstrations and faces accusations of restricting media freedom.
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Ndolembai Sade Njesada, vice president of the Transformers opposition party led by Masra, posted footage on Facebook appearing to show uniformed armed men escorting Masra out of a residential building.
A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Masra has been a vocal opponent of the junta led by President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who assumed power in 2021 after his father, long-serving President Idriss Deby, was killed while visiting troops fighting militias in the north of the country.
In January 2024, Masra was appointed prime minister in an attempt to appease the opposition, months before an election that Mahamat Idriss Deby won with 61% of the vote, according to the state election body.
Prior to the official announcement of the election’s preliminary results, Masra claimed victory and alleged planned electoral fraud. He resigned as prime minister before Mahamat Idriss Deby was sworn in.
Chad was the first of the junta-led states in West and Central Africa to hold elections following a series of coups in recent years.
