APA – Ndjamena (Chad) The leader of ‘Les Transformateurs’ party was preparing to return to Chad by Friday 20 October 2023 at the latest but decided to defer the date.
Succes Masra, a staunch opponent of the Deby regime, has been the target of an international arrest warrant issued by the Chadian justice system, and has been announcing his return to the country with great fanfare in recent days. “Barring force majeure, between now and 20 October, we will be with you in Chad to finish what we started for the triumph of justice and equality,” the president of ‘Les Transformateurs’, who left his country following the bloody repression of the demonstration against the transitional government on 20 October 2022, which left more than a hundred people dead, posted on his social networks on 10 September 2023.
Since then, the former official of the African Development Bank (AfDB) had been living in the United States, shuttling back and forth between the American, European and African continents. It was only after he had announced his intention to return to Ndjamena over a month ago that his supporters, who had been actively preparing for his arrival, were informed of the existence of an international arrest warrant issued by the Chadian justice system against their leader, while they were demanding appropriate “security measures” for Succes Masra’s return.
This measure did not initially dissuade the opposition leader, who is being prosecuted for “attempting to undermine the constitutional order, inciting hatred and an insurrectional uprising,” according to the terms of the arrest warrant issued by Mahamat Elhadj Abba Nana, the public prosecutor at the Ndjamena Court of Appeal. The latter, who confirmed to Radio France Internationale (RFI) the authenticity of the document shared on social networks, said that the leader of ‘Les Transformateurs’ could be arrested on his return to Chad.
Against all expectations, Succès Masra indicated on his X account (previously Twitter) on Monday 16 October that he was postponing his return to the country until November. “After consultation and taking into account the new elements brought to our attention, I have decided to give the process of possible reconciliation in justice and equality a chance to succeed by postponing our return to Chad until the beginning of November 2023 to avoid any risk to the people who were preparing to come out to welcome us on 18 October,” said the Chadian opposition leader.
Mahamat Idriss Deby, a 39-year-old general, came to power after the death of his father Idriss Deby Itno, who was killed at the front in April 2021 during fighting against rebel groups, after having ruled Chad with an iron fist for thirty years. He was sworn in as Chad’s transitional president on 10 October 2022 at the end of a national reconciliation dialogue boycotted by a large part of the opposition.
The bloody police crackdown of 20 October 2022 was linked to this extension of the transition. Several hundred demonstrators took to the streets of the capital to demand that the transition be speeded up so that civilians could return to power.
Many people were killed during the protests, which the Chadian government condemned as an attempt by an armed uprising to seize power.
ODL/te/fss/as/APA