Dr. Succès Masra, former transitional Prime Minister and head of the opposition party Les Transformateurs, was forcibly arrested on May 16, according to a Facebook alert issued by his vice president, Dr. Ndolembai Njessada.
The arrest comes in the wake of a heated public dispute between Masra and Senator Abderahman Koulamallah, former foreign minister, over the interpretation of the Kinshasa Agreement. Speaking at the seventh anniversary of his party, Masra had called on President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to “change course to fulfill the people’s aspirations,” while reaffirming his commitment to the 2022 Kinshasa Agreement, which facilitated his return from exile.
Koulamallah fired back, accusing Masra of distorting the facts, asserting that the agreement provided only for amnesty and the lifting of an arrest warrant, not political concessions or guarantees of power-sharing.
“The Chadian people have spoken. In a democracy, the winner implements his program. Talking about a coalition now would be a breach of democratic principles,” Koulamallah said, adding pointedly:
“Democracy isn’t about clinging to the position of Prime Minister—it’s about accepting defeat with dignity.”
Masra’s arrest marks a sharp escalation in Chad’s post-electoral tensions and raises concerns over political repression and the fragility of democratic institutions following recent elections and the country’s ongoing transition. The international community and human rights observers are likely to follow the situation closely.