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Chad’s President Mahamat D\u00e9by has pardoned political rival and former Prime Minister Succ\u00e8s Masra who was serving a 20-year sentence, paving the way for his release from prison.<\/b><\/p>\n
Masra, a fierce critic of president, claimed to have defeated him in an election in 2024.<\/p>\n
The opposition figure had been arrested last May over alleged links to a clash which took place in the south-west of the country. He was accused of spreading hateful messages on social media linked to the violence in which authorities said at least 42 people died.<\/p>\n
The decision to pardon Masra comes four days after the president promised to free several convicted individuals – to foster national unity, peace and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
However, the presidential pardon does not amount to an amnesty. This means all nine of those pardoned – including Masra – could still be prosecuted, the presidency underscored.<\/p>\n
A statement from the presidency said the eight other pardoned political figures belonged to the Group for the Coordination of Political Actors (GCAP), a renowned coalition in the country. They were each serving eight-year prison terms after being arrested in April for organising a banned protest.<\/p>\n
The statement described all nine recipients of state pardons as people “in a position of power but not in line with justice”.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a separate decree allows several detainees across the country to benefit from a partial remission of their sentences.<\/p>\n
Following the announcement of D\u00e9by’s decision to pardon the opposition figures, Masra’s Transformers Party said in a Facebook post that it marked the opening of a “new page. Let’s write it together.”<\/p>\n
They had originally decried Masra’s arrest as a kidnapping by military officers “carried out outside of any known judicial procedure”.<\/p>\n
News of the state pardons was also welcomed by the opposition RNDT-Le R\u00e9veil party, which called it “an encouraging signal, which should pave the way for a broader dynamic of political openness in the country”. <\/p>\n
It also urged D\u00e9by to further engage in lasting efforts towards sincere and inclusive dialogue for the benefit of the nation.<\/p>\n
It is not yet clear what Friday’s development means for Masra’s political ambitions.<\/p>\n
Masra briefly served as interim prime minister of the transitional government between January and May 2024. <\/p>\n
His party had boycotted legislative polls that December due to concerns over the transparency of the electoral process.<\/p>\n
The D\u00e9by family has ruled Chad for more than three decades.<\/p>\n
The military installed D\u00e9by as Chad’s leader after his father, Idriss D\u00e9by Itno, was killed by rebels in 2021. <\/p>\n
Additional reporting by Chris Ewokor and Natasha Booty<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n