Chad - August 2025

On 9 August, the High Court of N’Djamena sentenced opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra to 20 years in prison, following his conviction for complicity in murder and disseminating hateful and xenophobic messages in proceedings widely perceived to be politically motivated. The convictions relate to deadly intercommunal violence that took place in southwest Chad in May 2025, which prosecutors alleged was triggered by an audio recording of Masra calling for farmers to arm themselves against herder communities. Masra, who denies all the charges against him, says the recording was from 2023 and that he had simply called on the farmers to form self-defence groups. His lawyers criticised the state for a lack of evidence against their client and commentators also raised due process concerns. Masra was tried alongside the perpetrators of the violence and in addition to custodial sentences, they were collectively fined CFA francs 1 billion (approximately US$1.8 million). 

Sources: Jeune Afrique, Deutsche Welle, The Conversation, Human Rights Watch, International IDEA