Succès Masra

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Succès Masra
سوكسيه ماسرا
Masra in 2021
Prime Minister of Chad
Assumed office
1 January 2024
PresidentMahamat Déby
Preceded bySaleh Kebzabo
Leader of Les Transformateurs
Assumed office
29 April 2018
Personal details
Born (1983-08-30) 30 August 1983 (age 40)
Chad
Political partyLes Transformateurs

Succès Masra (Arabic: سوكسيه ماسرا; born 30 August 1983) is a Chadian economist and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Chad since 1 January 2024. Having formerly worked for the African Development Bank, in 2018 he founded Les Transformateurs, a political party that became part of the opposition against former president Idriss Déby, and following Déby's death in 2021, the Transitional Military Council.

Masra lived in exile in the United States between 2022 and 2023, after the 2022 Chadian protests. In 2023, Masra stated his intention to return ahead of the 2023 constitutional referendum. On January 1, 2024, after his return, Succès Masra was appointed Prime Minister of Chad.[1][2]

Early life and career[edit]

Masra was born in Chad on 30 August 1983, and was educated in Chad, Cameroon and France. After studying economics, Masra started working for the African Development Bank, becoming its chief economist prior to resigning in 2018 to start his political career.[3]

Political career[edit]

On 29 April 2018, Masra founded Les Transformateurs (English: 'The Transformers'; Arabic: المحوِّلون), a political party and opposition movement. Masra stated his intention to bring together Chadians "from the outside as well as from the inside" and to turn the country into a functioning social democracy.[3] Masra was a noted critic of Idriss Déby, who had served as President of Chad since 1990, and whose regime had been described as authoritarian, undemocratic, and corrupt by some international media sources.[4][5][6]

2021 presidential election[edit]

In November 2020, Déby announced he would stand as a candidate in the 2021 presidential election, running for his sixth consecutive term.[7] Masra publicly objected to Déby's candidacy, citing the Chadian constitution of 2018, which stated that presidential terms would last for six years and would be renewable only once.[8][9] Masra subsequently made his own application to run as a candidate; his application was rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission, who stated that Les Transformateurs was not an officially registered political party.[4][10] Following this, Masra took part in protests with which were violently suppressed by Chadian forces, leading to Masra seeking refuge in the United States' embassy in N'Djamena for six days due to fears for his safety.[8]

On 16 March 2021, Masra met with Déby, and called on him to postpone the election to organise an inclusive national dialogue between Déby; his party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement; and opposition parties and organisations.[10] Déby declined the postponement, and went on to win the election with 79.32% of the vote; Le Monde described the election as being "illegitimate" due to widespread irregularities.[11]

Death of Déby and establishment of the Transitional Military Council[edit]

On 20 April 2021, Déby's death was publicly announced, with an army spokesperson stating that he had died of gunshot-related injuries while commanding the Chad National Army against Front for Change and Concord in Chad rebels near Nokou, as part of the Northern Chad offensive.[12] That same day, the government and constitution of Chad were dissolved, and a Transitional Military Council (TMC), a military junta led by Déby's son, Mahamat Déby, was announced.[13] Masra called the dissolution of the government a "coup d'état", and called for an end of the Déby regime and associated cronyism, and for a turn towards democracy.[8]

In May 2022, protests took place in N'Djamena against the presence of French troops in the country; France, a former coloniser of Chad, was accused of propping up the TMC junta.[14] Les Transformeurs, alongside the civil society group Wakit Tamma, backed the protests, which were suppressed by the government, leading to the deaths of at least twelve people.[15]

September 2022 protests[edit]

After the TMC announced its intention to enter into dialogue with opposition groups, Masra and Les Transformateurs, alongside Wakit Tama, established a set of preconditions that would need to be agreed before any dialogue took place. These included guarantees that a referendum would be held on any new constitution; that members of the military would not run in the next presidential election; and that there would be a clear separation of the government and the military.[16][17] By August 2022, Les Transformeurs and Wakit Tama had announced that they would not partake in dialogue planned for the following month; Masra stated that he believed that the preconditions could be too easily annulled by the TMC.[18]

On 1 September 2022, Masra organised demonstrations in N'Djamena to protest the commencement of dialogue between the TMC and opposition groups. 91 activists were subsequently arrested for "disturbing public order" and non-compliance with laws around demonstrations on public roads; many activists fled to Les Transformeurs' headquarters, which were subsequently blockaded by the police.[19][20] Further demonstrations against the blockade of Les Transformateurs led to the arrests of at least 200 more activists, which triggered the Catholic Church in Chad to withdraw from the dialogue with the TMC, with several other organisations threatening to drop out should the blockade not be lifted. The activists were released after several days following the intervention of the Burkinabé diplomat Djibril Bassolé.[21][22]

September 2022 court summons[edit]

In a speech during the protests, Masra told Chadians to "expect the worst"; he was subsequently summoned to appear in court in response to his statement. On his journey to the court, he was accompanied by over a thousand activists, who were dispersed by the police; an estimated 300 activists were arrested, with around 1000 injured. The TMC's actions were criticised by the International Federation for Human Rights, the African Union and European Union, the governments of the United States, Germany and France, and Idriss Déby's party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement. In response to the international outcry, Masra's court summons was cancelled.[23][24]

October 2022 protests and exile[edit]

In October 2022, protests broke out around Chad after Déby publicly announced his intention to extend his rule by a further two years, rather than transferring power to a civilian government as he had originally promised.[25] The TMC's violent response to the protests led to the deaths of at least 50 protestors; Masra put the figure at least 70, with over a thousand tortured or injured.[26] Following the protests, Masra went into hiding and subsequently fled to Cameroon before settling in the United States.[27][28][29] In his absence, Les Transformateurs' registration was suspended by the TMC, before it was reinstated in January 2023.[30]

Return to Chad[edit]

On 11 August 2023, Masra announced his intention to return to Chad by 18 October 2023, ahead of the 2023 constitutional referendum. Subsequent posts on social media revealed that the N'Djamena Court of Appeal had issued a previously unknown international arrest warrant against Masra in June 2023, accusing him of "inciting hatred and revolt" and attempting to "undermine constitutional order".[28][31] Human Rights Watch stated Chad's transitional government threatening an exiled opposition leader with arrest demonstrated that "fundamental freedoms are still very much at risk" in the country ahead of the referendum.[31]

On 16 October 2023, Masra announced he was delaying his return to Chad, stating "increasing threats" from the Transitional Military Council.[32] On 31 October 2023, Masra and the Chadian government signed an agreement brokered by the Economic Community of Central African States permitting Masra to return to Chad after an amnesty was granted to him and other protesters. Some members of the opposition criticised Masra for signing the agreement, accusing him of absolving the government of their accountability concerning their response to the protests.[33] On January 1, 2024, Succès Masra was appointed Prime Minister of Chad.[34] On March 3, 2024, Succès Masra announced its candidacy for the presidential election of May 6, 2024.[35]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Tchad: l'ex-opposant Succès Masra nouveau Premier ministre". Radio France Internationale (in French). 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Former Chad opposition leader appointed as PM of transitional government". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  3. ^ a b Olivier, Mathieu (18 May 2018). "Succès Masra, de la BAD à la politique : " Il faut mettre fin à l'idée que le Tchad est un butin de guerre "". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Fall Diagne, Hamet (20 September 2022). "Succès Masra: qui est cet opposant au régime tchadien?". BBC News Afrique (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ Ehlert, Stefan (4 August 2016). "Chad's Deby unwilling to quit". DW. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ "In Pictures: Most Corrupt Nations". Forbes. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ^ Olivier, Mathieu (19 November 2020). "Tchad: Idriss Déby Itno, un maréchal en campagne". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Au Tchad, Succès Masra estime que "le peuple ne veut pas d'une transmission dynastique du pouvoir"". TV5Monde (in French). 21 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Le Tchad se dote d'une nouvelle Constitution qui renforce le régime présidentiel". France 24 (in French). 30 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b Tiassou, Kossivi (17 March 2021). "Rencontre avec Idriss Deby : Succès Masra s'explique". DW (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Au Tchad, réélection sans surprise pour un sixième mandat du président Idriss Déby". Le Monde (in French). 20 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Chad President Idriss Deby dies after 30-year rule". DW. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  13. ^ Irfan, Muhammad (20 April 2021). "Chad Sets Up Transitional Military Council Headed By Son Of Late President – Reports". Urdu Point. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. ^ Salih, Zeinab Mohammed (16 May 2023). "Chadians protest as anti-French sentiments hit new highs in Sahel". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Manifestations au Tchad: retour sur une journée de contestation et de répression". RFI (in French). 27 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Dialogue national au Tchad: Succès Masra (les Transformateurs), précise les conditions d'une participation". RFI (in French). 5 December 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  17. ^ Nako, Madjiasra (4 June 2022). "Succès Masra et les Transformateurs expriment leurs attentes fortes de la Transition". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Tchad : le chef rebelle Timan Erdimi à N'Djamena pour participer au dialogue national". Jeune Afrique (in French). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Tchad : arrestation de plusieurs dizaines d'opposants du parti de Succès Masra". Jeune Afrique (in French). 2 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ^ Nako, Madjiasra (2 September 2022). "Tchad: le siège du parti des Transformateurs encerclé par des forces de l'ordre". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  21. ^ Nako, Madjiasra (4 September 2023). "Dialogue national toujours suspendu au Tchad: les mots durs de Mahamat Idriss Deby, le retrait de l'Église". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Tchad : des partisans de Succès Masra gazés en route vers le tribunal". Africanews (in French). 9 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  23. ^ Nako, Madjiasra (9 September 2022). "Tchad: nouvelles échauffourées près du siège des Transformateurs". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Tchad: la répression des militants de Succès Masra fait réagir la communauté internationale". RFI (in French). 12 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Chad: Justice Needed for October Crackdown". Human Rights Watch. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  26. ^ Ramadane, Mahamat (22 October 2022). "Devastated relatives identify victims of Chad's bloody protests". Reuters. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Tchad: l'opposant Succès Masra a annoncé son retour d'exil". RFI (in French). 11 August 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Tchad: un mandat d'arrêt international émis contre l'opposant Succès Masra". RFI (in French). 5 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  29. ^ Nemeth, Sébastien (8 November 2022). "Tchad: l'opposant Succès Masra a quitté le pays". RFI (in French). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  30. ^ "Au Tchad, les partis d'opposition de nouveau autorisés après trois mois de suspension". Le Monde (in French). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Chad: Closing Political Space Ahead of Referendum". Human Rights Watch. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  32. ^ Kindzeka, Moki Edwin (16 October 2023). "Chad's Exiled Opposition Leader Delays Return Home". VOA. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  33. ^ Rondouba, Brilliant (19 November 2023). "Chad: is Succès Masra being rejected by the opposition?". Africanews. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Tchad: l'ex-opposant Succès Masra nouveau Premier ministre". Radio France Internationale (in French). 1 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  35. ^ "C'est Officiel : Succès Masra est candidat à la prochaine élection présidentielle. La Rédaction TchadOne". Tchad One (in French). March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Chad
2024–present 		Incumbent
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