Chadian opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succes Masra has declared on June 24 a hunger strike after spending over a month in detention.
In a letter addressed to his supporters and released by his party, the Transformers, Masra stated that he would begin the strike “in solidarity” and as a protest against what he described as “undeserved injustices.” Arrested on 16 May, Masra is facing serious charges including incitement to revolt, association with armed gangs, and complicity in murder, allegations his legal team strongly disputes.
Masra’s lawyers maintain that his detention is arbitrary and have appealed unsuccessfully for his provisional release. The accusations stem partly from a 2023 audio recording in which Masra allegedly encouraged the use of firearms—an interpretation his defence insists has been taken out of context. The statement was once the basis of an international arrest warrant, but proceedings were reportedly discontinued and the warrant lifted in November 2023. His legal team has decried the ongoing prosecution as unjustified and politically motivated.
Masra, a prominent political figure in Chad’s south and member of the Ngambaye ethnic group, remains popular among Christian and animist communities who feel excluded by the Muslim-majority government in N’Djamena. Tensions intensified after a deadly incident on 14 May in Mandakao, where 42 civilians were killed—an event for which Masra is controversially being held responsible. As legal and political pressure mounts, his hunger strike adds a new dimension to the crisis, drawing international attention to the country’s fragile political and judicial landscape.