• Succès Masra sentenced to 20 years for inciting violence.
• Conviction includes charges of disseminating xenophobic messages.
• Masra and 74 co-defendants linked to inter-communal violence in May.
• Defense plans to appeal, citing lack of evidence.
• Masra previously served as prime minister from January to May 2024.

The Chadian government has sentenced former Prime Minister Succès Masra to 20 years in prison for inciting violence and disseminating xenophobic messages. This ruling emerged from his alleged roles in inter-community clashes in May that left at least 76 dead, according to prosecutors who claimed Masra incited one side to take up arms, as presented in court during the proceedings in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, according to africanews.

Masra's defense team has criticized the trial, arguing that the evidence was inadequate and describing the outcome as a form of "humiliation" for their client. They accused the government of manipulating the judicial system to eliminate a political opponent, as he faced similar accusations alongside 74 co-defendants. Many, including Masra, have denied the charges, which include hate speech and complicity in murder linked to the violence in Logone Occidental province, according to aljazeera, trtglobal, and africanews.

The Chadian public and Masra's supporters have expressed concerns over the case, which they believe is politically motivated. Masra served briefly as prime minister before losing the presidential election in 2024 and has been a vocal critic of the current administration led by Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took power following the previous president's death. His current sentencing is viewed within the context of broader political repression in Chad, according to trtglobal and aljazeera.