Chad's former PM and opposition leader sentenced to 20 years

10/8/2025 5:44

Chad's former Prime

Minister and opposition leader Succes Masra has been sentenced

to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of disseminating

racist and xenophobic messages that incited violence, his lawyer

told Reuters on Saturday.



Masra is a staunch opponent of President Mahamat Idriss

Deby, who nonetheless served as prime minister in Deby's interim

government for about five months before running against him in a

May 2024 election.



Chad's prosecutor launched an investigation against him in

May in relation to a clash in which dozens were killed in the

southern town of Mandakao that month.



In addition to 20 years in prison, Masra was ordered to pay

a fine of 1 billion CFA francs ($1.8 million), said Kadjilembaye

Francis, one of his lawyers.



The lawyer said his team planned to appeal.