Chadian former prime minister, Success Masra, has been arrested over alleged links to a clash that took place in the southwestern part of the country.
Masra was apprehended by the country’s judicial police for allegedly inciting hateful messages on social media, which have been linked to the violence that left at least 42 people dead.
According to prosecutor Oumar Kedelaye, who confirmed his arrest on Friday, the former prime minister was picked up from his home on Friday morning to police custody for inquiries.
Kedelaye stated that he is being investigated on multiple charges, including incitement to hatred and revolt, complicity in murder, and the desecration of graves.
The prosecutor added that investigations by the judicial police pointed to Masra’s involvement in the clash that killed 42 people on Wednesday in the southwest province of Logone Occidental, mostly women and children.
“This alleged involvement incited the population against a community residing in the same locality. Messages were circulated, notably on social networks, calling on the population to arm themselves against other citizens,” he said.
Masra had emerged as a staunch opponent of the junta headed by President Mahamat Deby, who seized power after his father, long-serving President Idriss Deby, was killed as he was visiting troops fighting militias in the north of the country in 2021.
Legal proceedings against the former leader would exacerbate concerns of shrinking democratic space in Chad, where the government frequently bans demonstrations and is accused of restricting media organization’s ability to operate.
He was appointed prime minister in January 2024 in a bid to appease the opposition, four months before an election that Mahamat Idriss Deby won, with the state election body giving him 61% of the vote.
Before the official announcement of the election’s preliminary results, Masra had claimed victory and alleged that electoral fraud was being planned.
