Chad’s ex-prime minister taken from home by armed men
Chad’s former prime minister, Succes Masra, was taken from his home by armed men, according to a statement from his political party.
His team said Masra was “abducted by military force” just before 6 am local time on May 16.
His residence, which also serves as the office for his party, Les Transformateurs, was reportedly surrounded by soldiers.
A video posted online, as reported by local news sources, appeared to show Masra leaving with men in military uniform.
Masra had only recently served as prime minister from January to May this year. He ran against President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno in the May 2024 election and claimed he had won, even though official results showed Deby securing 61.3 percent of the vote compared to Masra’s 18.5 percent.
Masra has been one of the strongest voices challenging Deby’s leadership.
President Deby came to power in 2021 after the death of his father, who ruled Chad for three decades.
The younger Deby was named transitional president by the military and had promised to return the country to civilian rule within 18 months. However, that timeline was extended.
Many opposition leaders have since been forced into exile, gone quiet, or joined the government.
A new constitution was passed in late 2023.
Deby, now 40, was then elected president in May this year, but international observers raised concerns about the fairness of the vote.
Meanwhile, there has been no official response yet from the government regarding Masra’s whereabouts.
