Chad opposition leader hit with 20-year prison sentence and $1.7m fine in landmark case
Chad's former Prime Minister and opposition leader, Succes Masra, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a criminal court.
The conviction came on charges of incitement to hatred and revolt, and complicity in murder, tied to a deadly clash between herders and farmers in May of this year in Logone Occidental, an incident that resulted in dozens of fatalities.
In addition to the prison term, Masra was fined 1 billion CFA francs, which equates to approximately $1.8 million. His legal counsel labelled the sentence “an ignominy and unworthy humiliation,” and confirmed an appeal will be filed.
Before departing the courtroom, Masra delivered a defiant message to his supporters to “stand firm.” A message they have lived up to.
Large protests emerged in the country on Saturday, August 9, after the ruling, as supporters chanted that the trial and sentence were unfair.
According to Sitack Yombatina, Vice President of the Transformers Party, the supposed crime of the party leader, Masra, is being handled as a political case.
"I spoke with a few people, and the politicians are going to sort this out, which means that the magistrates who have the final say, who made the law, who have the text at their disposal, who are in their jurisdiction, who are in their territory, are unable to pronounce judgement based on the written texts and are deferring to politicians. There is a problem. Why didn't we do this at the National Assembly if it's political? Why didn't we do this at the Palace on 15 January if it's political? Why didn't we do this at the Presidency of the Republic if it's political? Why didn't we do this at the Premature if it's political? Why didn't we do it at the Ombudsman's office if it's political?" he quizzed.
A day earlier, on August 8, 2025, Chad’s prosecutor general had urged the court to impose an even harsher sentence of 25 years in prison along with the confiscation of assets and a demand for 5 billion West African CFA francs (around $8.9 million) in compensation to the state.
Masra, who briefly served as prime minister in early 2024, challenged President Mahamat Déby in the disputed 2024 presidential election. After contesting the results, he resigned his post in late May 2024.
The incident triggering these charges occurred amid escalating ethnic and regional tensions in Logone Occidental in May 2025 and claimed 35 lives.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
