Detainee Succès Masra, opposition leader, declares commencement of a hunger strike following over 4 weeks in custody
Title: Facing Detention for Over a Month, Former Chadian Prime Minister Succès Masra Declares Hunger Strike
Are you acquainted with the ongoing saga of Succès Masra, the one-time head honcho of Chad and a prominent opposition figure? Yep, that's the guy! Well, he's been locked up for more than a month now, and he's had enough. On June 24, Masra declared he'd embark on a hunger strike, arguing the whole shebang smells fishy.
But what's this scene about? Masra was nabbed on May 16, slapped with charges of incitement to hatred, revolt – and there's more, including complicity of armed bands, murder, arson, and desecration of graves. Not exactly strewn with roses, huh?
This row was sparked by a series of gruesome incidents in the Logone Occidental province, southwest of Chad – 40 folks, mainly women and children, met their end. The authorities believe Masra stirred the pot, while his party denies any connection. They label the proceedings as politically charged and manipulated by the administration.
Masra hails from the Ngambaye ethnic group, enjoying popularity among Christian and animist populations in the South, who feel underrepresented by the predominantly Muslim N'Djamena regime.
His lawyers shot down the charges and requested provisional release, only to be turned down by the chamber of accusation. His French lawyer, Vincent Brengarth, alerted the United Nations and the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights over the matter.
An audio recording from 2023 is used as evidence against Masra. The recording supposedly features Masra urging people to arm themselves against terrorist groups, but his legal team insists this statement was made in a specific context and that the international arrest warrant against him was lifted following the abandonment of the proceedings.
Interethnic clashes involving Fulani nomadic herders and Ngambaye farmers over land demarcation are believed to have instigated the violence.
Here's the gist: Succès Masra, former Prime Minister, is locked up on charges of incitement to violence, complicity with armed gangs, and murder linked to deadly intercommunal violence in southwestern Chad. His party denies any involvement and accuses the administration of politically motivated charges. In protest, Masra has vowed to go on a hunger strike.
Amidst the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Chad, the political landscape is taking a significant turn with the ongoing detention of Succès Masra, a leading opposition figure and former Prime Minister. The development has led to policy-and-legislation debates, with Masra's party accusing the administration of politically manipulated charges and the United Nations becoming involved, considering the general-news value of the situation.
