FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2025
The World Liberty Congress (WLC) strongly condemns the unjust arrest, trial, and sentencing of Dr. Succès Masra, a founding member of the WLC and a prominent pro-democracy leader in Chad.
On May 14, 2025, a violent clash erupted in Mandakao, a village in southern Chad, between Ngambaye farmers and Peulh nomads over a land dispute. The tragic escalation claimed the lives of more than 42 Peulh, followed by retaliatory killings of over 40 Ngambaye.
Two days later, on May 16, Chadian judicial police arrested Dr. Masra at his residence in N’Djamena, accusing him of instigating the violence. The government’s sole piece of “evidence” was an audio message from 2023—recorded in a completely different context—where Dr. Masra had called on citizens to defend themselves if attacked by armed groups that the government itself had publicly labeled as “terrorists” after a series of farmer killings by nomads.
This audio, which aligned at the time with the government’s own statements, was never even presented in court during his trial. Instead, judges labeled it as “xenophobic and racist” and used it as the basis to convict him of complicity in murder, despite the absence of any credible link between Dr. Masra and the tragic events in Mandakao.
The trial began on Wednesday, May 6 and lasted only three days. No substantial evidence was presented, and the proceedings failed to meet the most basic standards of due process. Dr. Masra was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $1.5 million in damages. Alongside him, 73 other villagers from Mandakao and surrounding areas were also charged with murder.
“This is not justice—it is a politically motivated attack designed to destroy Dr. Masra’s political ambitions and silence a leading voice for democracy in Chad,” said [Name], Secretary General of the World Liberty Congress. “The misuse of the justice system to target political opponents is an assault on the fundamental rights of the Chadian people.”
The World Liberty Congress calls on:
• The Chadian government to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Succès Masra.
• The African Union, the United Nations, and democratic governments worldwide to publicly condemn this miscarriage of justice.
• Civil society, human rights defenders, and the international community to stand in solidarity with Dr. Masra and all Chadians striving for democracy and the rule of law.
Dr. Masra’s imprisonment is part of a broader pattern of repression in Chad, where peaceful dissent is met with intimidation, arbitrary detention, and violence. The World Liberty Congress will continue to advocate for his release and for a democratic future in Chad.
