Chad’s former prime minister and prominent opposition leader, Succes Masra, was allegedly abducted from his residence by armed military personnel early Friday morning, according to a statement from his political party.
“Succes Masra was just abducted by military force today, May 16 at 5:56 a.m.,” read a post on Masra’s official Facebook page. The residence, which also functions as the headquarters of his party, Les Transformateurs (The Transformers), was reportedly the site of the incident.
An unverified video accompanying the post appeared to show Masra being escorted from the premises by approximately a dozen men in military uniforms, reports said.
Masra served as Chad’s prime minister from January until May 2024. He was a central figure in last month's presidential elections, where he challenged incumbent President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno. While official results showed Déby winning with 61.3 percent of the vote to Masra’s 18.5 percent, the former prime minister rejected the outcome and declared himself the rightful winner.
There has been no immediate comment from Chadian authorities regarding the alleged abduction. The incident raises fresh concerns about political repression and instability in the Central African nation following the contested election.
