In Chad, the opposition party Les Transformateurs called on January 2, 2026, for amnesty for its president, Succès Masra. The political party’s Secretary General directly appealed to the head of state for the “outstretched hand” to translate into concrete actions. The former Prime Minister Masra was sentenced in August 2025 to 20 years in prison on charges including disseminating hate speech and complicity in murder.
In Chad, the opposition party Les Transformateurs officially called for amnesty for its president, Succès Masra, on January 2, 2026. He was sentenced in August 2025 to 20 years in prison for disseminating hate speech and complicity in murder. His party called on President Déby to turn the “outstretched hand” from his December 31, 2025, national address into concrete actions, an appeal seen as a test of the government’s willingness to reconcile. Les Transformateurs justify their move by advocating for amnesty as the most appropriate option, as a presidential pardon can only be considered once the conviction is final.
“Amnesty demanded by the main opposition party in Chad. For the former Prime Minister, Success Masra, it is a way for the Chadian political class to rise above this conflict that risks destroying it. Now that Chad is surrounded by unstable countries, particularly its western border with the conflicts in Darfur, if you look closely at the case files, which are empty, keeping them in prison would be an untenable political position for President Déby.”
The Secretary General also stressed that the timing was right for presidential intervention. Since January 1st, the President of the Republic has indeed been authorized by the National Assembly to issue ordinances.
“But not releasing them from prison would also be like losing face. So he should be granted amnesty because he cannot be pardoned since the legal process is still ongoing, and at most, his sentence could be adjusted, for example, by placing him under house arrest. Or. The most radical solution is amnesty, to then resume a political process, which will allow for a unified Chad capable of facing external security contingencies.”
To recall, Succès Masra was sentenced on August 9, 2025, to 20 years in prison and a fine of one billion CFA francs. The conviction, based on a 2023 voice message, was for “disseminating hateful and xenophobic messages and complicity in murder” in the Mandakao case, which caused the deaths of around forty people in the south of the country. In the 2024 presidential election, the former Prime Minister came in second place with 18.54% of the vote, behind the incumbent head of state, Mahamat Idriss Déby.