Former Prime Minister of Chad, Succes Masra, known for his opposition to the ruling authorities of the Central African country, was forcibly taken from his home early Friday morning, according to his political party.
The announcement included an unverified video that depicted him leaving his residence, surrounded by around a dozen armed individuals in military attire.
“Succes Masra was just abducted by military force today, May 16 at 5:56 am” from his home, which also serves as headquarters for his party, Les Transformateurs (The Transformers), said a post on his official Facebook page.
Masra, the prime minister of Chad from January to May 2024, competed against President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno in the presidential elections held last May.
He garnered 18.5 per cent of the votes, while Deby received 61.3 per cent, but he claimed to have won the election. Masra has been one of Deby’s most intense adversaries.
(Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP)
Deby was declared transitional president by fellow military officials in 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who had governed Chad for three decades, was killed during a clash with rebels.
He had committed to an 18-month transitional period towards democracy, but extended it by two additional years. Since then, opposition leaders have fled, been suppressed, or allied with Deby.
Following the approval of a new constitution in a referendum in December 2023, Deby, who is 40 years old, was elected president in May 2024, in elections that international observers characterised as lacking credibility.
