Pardon for president’s main rival in Chad

The President of Chad, Mahamat Déby, has pardoned his main political rival, former Prime Minister Succès Masra, who was serving a 20-year sentence. This action comes after the president vowed to release several convicted individuals to promote national unity, peace and reconciliation. Masra, a vocal critic of President Déby, had reportedly won the 2024 election over him.

He was arrested in May over alleged connections to a violent clash in the southwest of the country where at least 42 people died. Masra was charged with disseminating harmful content on social media related to the violence. Despite this pardon, Masra's nine fellow pardoned political figures could still face prosecution, as the presidential pardon does not equate to an amnesty.

The other pardoned individuals were all members of the Group for the Coordination of Political Actors (GCAP), a prominent coalition in Chad, and had each been serving eight-year sentences after being arrested in April for organizing a banned protest. The president's decision has been warmly welcomed by the opposition, with the RNDT-Le Réveil party describing it as a positive signal for broader political openness in the nation.