In Chad, the Supreme Court in N’Djamena has decisively dismissed the appeal filed by legal representatives of former Prime Minister Succès Masra. This ruling solidifies his 20-year prison sentence in a case connected to the deadly Mandakao clashes.

The conviction of Succès Masra, Chad’s former Prime Minister and leader of Les Transformateurs political party, for a 20-year prison term has been definitively upheld. On Thursday, May 21, the Supreme Court of N’Djamena rejected the cassation appeal lodged by his legal team, effectively exhausting all internal judicial avenues for the prominent figure.

The former head of government received his initial sentence last August from the Criminal Court, facing charges of “dissemination of racist and xenophobic messages,” “criminal association,” and “complicity in murder.” Chadian justice primarily cited a message broadcast by Masra in 2023, which authorities believed contributed to the violent intercommunal confrontations that erupted in Mandakao in May 2025.

During the court session, a substantial security presence, including police and military forces, was deployed around the Supreme Court’s premises, restricting access to the area despite the public nature of the proceedings.

With this latest judicial decision, Succès Masra has exhausted all national legal remedies. His remaining legal recourse may now lie with sub-regional or international judicial bodies. Supporters of the opposition leader have consistently decried the process as a politically motivated trial. “We therefore hope that a political solution will be found,” stated Claudia Hoinathy, a senior member of Les Transformateurs party.