Masra Sentenced to 20 Years Over Deadly May Clash

Chad’s criminal court on Saturday handed former prime minister and opposition leader Success Masra a 20-year prison term and fined him 1 billion CFA francs for incitement to hatred, revolt, and complicity in murder after a herder–farmer clash in Logone Occidental left 35 people dead. Before leaving the courtroom, Masra urged his supporters to “stand firm,” while his lawyer decried the verdict as humiliating and vowed to appeal. Masra, who led the Les Transformateurs party and served as prime minister from January to May, has consistently denied the charges alongside 67 co-defendants, mostly from his Ngambaye ethnic group. The trial underscores Masra’s ongoing feud with President Mahamat Déby, who assumed power in 2021 and faced opposition from Masra’s camp in this year’s election.

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https://apnews.com/article/chad-opposition-deby-masra-sentence-9faa712a7ceb7caed64dfec111818362