Latest news with #MahamatIdrissDebyItno
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Amir sends congratulations to president of Chad
DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Chad HE Lt Gen Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, on the anniversary of his country's Independence Day.
Daily Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Chad court jails ex-PM, opposition leader for 20 years
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. A court in Chad jailed former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra for 20 years Saturday, convicting him of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre. The court in N'Djamena jailed Masra, one of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's fiercest critics, for his role in inciting inter-communal violence in which 42 people were killed on May 14. It also imposed a fine of one billion CFA francs (1.5 million euros). Most of the massacre victims were women and children in Mandakao, southwestern Chad, according to the court. On Friday, the state prosecutor had called for a 25-year sentence. "Our client has just been the object of a humiliation," lead defence lawyer Francis Kadjilembaye told AFP. "He has just been convicted on the basis of an empty dossier, on the basis of assumptions and in the absence of evidence," he added. He called it a weaponisation of the courts. Activists with Masra's Transformers Party gathered later Saturday to protest the conviction and condemn Deby. They said former finance Bedoumra Kordje had been appointed interim party leader. Masra was arrested on May 16, two days after the violence, and charged with "inciting hatred, revolt, forming and complicity with armed gangs, complicity in murder, arson and desecration of graves". He stood trial with nearly 70 other men accused of taking part in the killings. - Presidential candidate - Originally from Chad's south, Masra comes from the Ngambaye ethnic group and enjoys wide popularity among the predominantly Christian and animist populations of the south. Those groups feel marginalised by the largely Muslim-dominated regime in the capital N'Djamena. During the trial, Masra's lawyers argued that no concrete evidence against him had been presented to the court. He went on hunger strike in jail for nearly a month in June, his lawyers said at the time. Like other opposition leaders, Masra had left Chad after a bloody crackdown on his followers in 2022, only returning under an amnesty agreed in 2024. Trained as an economist in France and Cameroon, Masra had been a fierce opponent of the ruling authorities before they named him prime minister five months ahead of the presidential election. He served as premier from January to May last year after signing a reconciliation deal with Deby. Masra faced off against Deby in the 2024 presidential elections, winning 18.5 percent against Deby's 61.3 percent, but claimed victory. Of the May 14 killings, one local source said they were thought to have sprung from a dispute between ethnic Fulani nomadic herders and local Ngambaye farmers over the demarcation of grazing and farming areas. Conflicts between pastoralists and sedentary farmers are estimated by the International Crisis Group to have caused more than 1,000 deaths and 2,000 injuries in Chad between 2021 and 2024. yas-lnf/jj/gv Originally published as Chad court jails ex-PM, opposition leader for 20 years
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chad court sentences former prime minister, opposition leader to 20 years in jail
A court in Chad sentenced former prime minister and opposition figure Succes Masra to 20 years in prison on Saturday, finding him guilty of hate speech, xenophobia, and inciting a massacre. The court in N'Djamena held Masra, a prominent critic of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, responsible for encouraging inter-communal violence that left 42 people dead on May 14. A court in Chad jailed former prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra for 20 years Saturday, convicting him of hate speech, xenophobia and having incited a massacre. The court in N'Djamena jailed Masra, one of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's fiercest critics, for his role in inciting inter-communal violence in which 42 people were killed on May 14. Most of the massacre victims were women and children in Mandakao, southwestern Chad, according to the court. On Friday, the state prosecutor had called for a 25-year sentence. Masra was arrested on May 16, charged with "inciting hatred, revolt, forming and complicity with armed gangs, complicity in murder, arson and desecration of graves". Watch moreChad's former Prime Minister taken into custody, party official says He stood trial with nearly 70 other men accused of having taken part in the killings. Originally from Chad's south, he comes from the Ngambaye ethnic group and enjoys wide popularity among the predominantly Christian and animist populations of the south. Those groups feel marginalised by the largely Muslim-dominated regime in the capital N'Djamena. During the trial, Masra's lawyers argued that no concrete evidence against him had been presented to the court. He went on hunger strike in jail for nearly a month in June, his lawyers said at the time. Masra had left Chad after a bloody crackdown on his followers in 2022, only returning under an amnesty agreed in 2024. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chad prosecutor seeks 25 years' jail for opposition leader
Chad's state prosecutors requested Friday a 25-year jail sentence for opposition leader Succès Masra, who is on trial accused of inciting a massacre. "Since a life sentence is ruled out, we demand 25 years in prison for Masra and his co-defendants," chief prosecutor Louapambe Mahouli Bruno told the court. A former prime minister of the country and one of the fiercest opponents of its President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, Masra is accused of inciting the killing of 42 people on 14 May. The massacre reportedly killed mostly women and children in Mandakao, southwestern Chad, according to the courts. Arrested on 16 May, Masra is charged with "inciting hatred, revolt, forming and complicity with armed gangs, complicity in murder, arson and desecration of graves". Alongside him, nearly 70 other men stand accused of taking part in the killings. Lawyers of Chadian jailed opposition leader call on Macron to intervene Masra, originally from Chad's south, comes from the Ngambaye ethnic group and enjoys wide popularity among the predominantly Christian and animist populations of the south. Those groups feel marginalised by the largely Muslim regime in the capital N'Djamena. Masra's lawyers said Tuesday that no concrete evidence against him had been presented to the court. Chad jails 262 in mass trial after deadly anti-government protests He went on hunger strike in jail for nearly a month in June, his lawyers said at the time. He had left Chad after a bloody crackdown on his followers in 2022 and returned under an amnesty agreed in 2024. (AFP)
The Star
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
17 killed in clashes in Chad
YAOUNDE, June 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people died Thursday evening in clashes in Chad, local authorities and media said Friday. The clashes took place Thursday evening in Oregomel village located in Mayo-Kebbi West province (southwest) of the country. Most of those who were killed were women and children, local media reported, adding that 16 others were injured in the clashes in which fighters were armed with machetes and clubs. On Friday, the government's general delegate to the province of Mayo-Kebbi West, Abdelmanane Khatab, announced measures to curb insecurity in the province after visiting the village. The clashes took place barely hours after the country's President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno held an emergency meeting on security following deadly clashes in the Central African nation. More than 50 people have died in the country in intercommunal clashes since May, according to reports by local media. Intercommunal clashes are common in Chad, usually caused by dispute over land and political differences.
