A Chadian court jailed former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra for 20 years on Saturday for his conviction on charges of hate speech and inciting a massacre. The court in N’Djamena found Masra, a fierce critic of President Deby, guilty of inciting inter-communal violence that resulted in the deaths of 42 people.
The court stated that most of the massacre’s 42 victims were women and children from the southwestern Chadian town of Mandakao. His lead defense lawyer, Francis Kadjilembaye, told AFP that his client had just been the object of a major humiliation by the court.
The defense lawyer contended that his client was convicted on the basis of an “empty dossier” and in the complete absence of any presented evidence. Masra was arrested on May 16, two days following the violence, and was charged with crimes including inciting hatred, revolt, and murder.
The former prime minister stood trial with nearly 70 other men who were accused of actively participating in the gruesome killings on May 14. Originally from Chad’s south, Masra is a member of the Ngambaye ethnic group and enjoys wide popularity among the predominantly Christian and animist populations there.
Trained as an economist in France and Cameroon, Masra had been a fierce opponent of the authorities before they named him prime minister for five months. He served as premier from January to May last year before facing off against President Deby in the 2024 presidential elections.
A local source said the killings were thought to have sprung from a dispute between herders and farmers over grazing and farming areas. Conflicts between pastoralists and sedentary farmers are estimated to have caused more than 1,000 deaths and 2,000 injuries in Chad since 2021.
Source:Radar Africa
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