Succès Masra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Succès Masra
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سوكسيه ماسرا
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Masra in 2024
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| Prime Minister of Chad | |
| In office 1 January 2024 – 22 May 2024 |
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| President | Mahamat Déby |
| Preceded by | Saleh Kebzabo |
| Succeeded by | Allamaye Halina |
| Leader of Les Transformateurs | |
| Assumed office 29 April 2018 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 August 1983 Chad |
| Political party | Les Transformateurs |
Succès Masra (born August 30, 1983) is an economist and politician from Chad. He served as the Prime Minister of Chad from January to May 2024.
Before becoming a politician, Masra worked for the African Development Bank. In 2018, he started his own political party called Les Transformateurs. This party became a main group opposing the government in Chad.
Masra lived outside Chad, in the United States, from 2022 to 2023. He returned to Chad in 2023. On January 1, 2024, he was chosen to be the Prime Minister of Chad.
Early Life and Education
Succès Masra was born in Chad on August 30, 1983. He went to school in Chad, Cameroon, and France.
After studying economics, Masra began working as an economist at the African Development Bank. He worked there until 2018, when he decided to leave and start his career in politics.
Starting a Political Party
On April 29, 2018, Masra created his political party, Les Transformateurs. The name means "The Transformers." He wanted to bring people from Chad together, both those living inside and outside the country. His goal was to help Chad become a "social democracy." This means a country where everyone has fair chances and the government works to improve life for all citizens.
Masra was a strong critic of Idriss Déby, who had been president of Chad since 1990. Many international news sources described Déby's government as authoritarian, meaning it had too much power and did not allow people enough freedom. They also said it was corrupt.
The 2021 Presidential Election
In November 2020, President Déby announced he would run for president again in the 2021 Chadian presidential election. This would have been his sixth time in office. Masra spoke out against this, saying it went against Chad's constitution. The constitution said a president could only serve two six-year terms.
Masra tried to become a candidate himself, but his application was turned down. The election commission said his party, Les Transformateurs, was not officially registered. After this, Masra joined protests. These protests were stopped by force, and Masra had to seek safety in the United States' embassy in N'Djamena for six days.
On March 16, 2021, Masra met with President Déby. He asked Déby to delay the election. Masra wanted time for a national discussion that would include Déby's party and opposition groups. Déby refused to delay the election. He then won the election with 79.32% of the votes. Some news groups said the election was not fair because of many problems.
After President Déby's Death
On April 20, 2021, President Déby's death was announced. The army said he died from gunshot wounds while fighting rebels in northern Chad. On the same day, Chad's government and constitution were ended. A military group called the Transitional Military Council (CMT) took control. This group was led by Déby's son, Mahamat Déby.
Masra called this change a "coup d'état," which means a sudden takeover of the government by force. He called for an end to the Déby family's rule and for Chad to become a democracy.
In May 2022, protests happened in N'Djamena against the presence of French troops in Chad. France is a former colonizer of Chad. Some people accused France of supporting the CMT military government. Masra's party, Les Transformateurs, supported these protests. The government stopped the protests by force, and at least twelve people died.
Protests in September 2022
The CMT government said it wanted to talk with opposition groups. Masra and Les Transformateurs, along with another group called Wakit Tama, set conditions for these talks. They wanted a promise that a vote would be held on any new constitution. They also wanted military members not to run in the next presidential election. By August 2022, Masra's party decided not to join the talks. Masra felt the government could easily ignore their conditions.
On September 1, 2022, Masra organized protests in N'Djamena. These protests were against the start of talks between the CMT and other opposition groups. Many activists were arrested for "disturbing public order." Many others went to Les Transformateurs' headquarters, which the police then blocked. More protests happened against this blockade, leading to more arrests. This caused the Catholic Church in Chad to leave the talks with the CMT.
Court Summons and Exile
After a speech during the protests, Masra was called to court. He had told Chadians to "expect the worst." When he went to court, over a thousand activists joined him. The police broke up the crowd, arresting about 300 people and injuring around 1000. Many international groups and countries criticized the government's actions. Because of this international concern, Masra's court summons was canceled.
In October 2022, more protests broke out in Chad. This happened after Déby announced he would stay in power for two more years. He changed the CMT into the National Transitional Council (CNT). This was different from his earlier promise to give power to a civilian government. The government used violence against the protestors, and at least 50 people died. Masra said the number was at least 70, with over a thousand injured.
After these events, Masra went into hiding. He then fled to Cameroon and later settled in the United States. While he was away, his party, Les Transformateurs, was temporarily suspended by the CNT. It was allowed to operate again in January 2023.
Return to Chad
On August 11, 2023, Masra announced he planned to return to Chad by October 18, 2023. This was before a vote on a new constitution. Later, it was revealed that a court in N'Djamena had issued an arrest warrant for Masra in June 2023. He was accused of "inciting hatred and revolt." Human Rights Watch said that threatening an opposition leader with arrest showed that basic freedoms were still at risk in Chad.
On October 16, 2023, Masra delayed his return, saying there were "increasing threats" from the government. On October 31, 2023, Masra and the Chadian government signed an agreement. This agreement allowed Masra to return to Chad after he and other protestors were granted amnesty. Some opposition members criticized Masra for signing the agreement. They felt he was letting the government avoid responsibility for its actions during the protests. On January 1, 2024, Succès Masra was appointed Prime Minister of Chad.
The 2024 Presidential Election
On March 3, 2024, Masra announced he would run for president in the 2024 Chadian presidential election on May 6, 2024. He ran as the leader of the Les Transformateurs party. The Constitutional Court approved his candidacy. On March 10, 2024, he officially accepted his party's choice to be their presidential candidate. This election was historic because it was the first time in Chad that a president and a prime minister ran against each other.
On May 9, the election agency announced that Mahamat Déby had won the 2024 election. They stated Déby won 61.3% of the votes, while Masra won 18.53%. Just before this announcement, Masra claimed on Facebook that he had won a "resounding victory." The election results were announced two weeks earlier than expected.
On May 22, Masra resigned as prime minister. The transitional government also resigned.
See also
In Spanish: Succès Masra para niños
