Chad’s ex-PM Succès Masra leaves for medical treatment abroad after prison release
Two months after his release from prison by presidential pardon, Chad's former Prime Minister Succès Masra has left the country for medical treatment. He traveled first to Cameroon, then Ivory Coast, and finally France. Masra's health reportedly worsened during his year-long detention. He was arrested in May 2025 on charges he denies and pardoned by President Mahamat Idriss Déby to promote national unity.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-10-20
Chad’s former Prime Minister, Succès Masra, has departed the country for medical treatment abroad, two months after being released from prison under a presidential pardon.
Masra reportedly traveled to Cameroon on Tuesday before heading to Ivory Coast, where his family resides, and then to France for further treatment. An associate noted that Masra’s health deteriorated during his year in detention, but his departure was delayed as he awaited passport renewal.
Masra, a vocal critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby and leader of the Transformers party, was arrested in May 2025 and sentenced to 20 years in jail in August 2025. He faced charges including inciting violence and hate speech related to a deadly clash between herders and farmers. Masra has denied these accusations.
After contesting the May 2024 presidential election results, which Déby won, Masra agreed to serve as prime minister from January until his arrest. His pardon by Déby came as part of a broader initiative to foster national unity and reconciliation.
The Déby family has ruled Chad for over three decades, with Mahamat Idriss Déby installed as leader by the military following his father’s death in 2021.