“There is nothing better than returning home,” rejoiced Succès Masra, one of the most fervent Chadian opponents, as he got off the plane that brought him back to his native land after more of a year of exile. Blue suit, red tie and sunglasses, the president of the Transformers party briefly knelt on the airport tarmac, raising his arms to the sky before rushing into an official vehicle in the company of ministers of the reconciliation and communication.
An arrival in complete discretion, far from the great popular jubilation announced by the opponent at the beginning of October before he postponed his return following the publication on social networks of an international arrest warrant against him.
Success Masra, barely 40 years old, fled Chad the day after the bloody repression of the demonstrations on October 20, 2022. Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital and several provincial towns that day to protest against the extension of the military transition begun the day after the death of President Idriss Déby Itno on April 21, 2021, after three decades of authoritarian rule.
The conclusions of the “inclusive and sovereign national dialogue” organized by the government then extended the duration of the transition by eighteen months and authorized the son of the late head of state, Mahamat Idriss Déby, to run for office. the future presidential election. The defense and security forces opened fire on the crowd, officially killing 73 people according to the government – ??which considers these events to be an “attempted insurrection”. For the National Human Rights Commission, NGOs and the opposition, the toll would be much higher: between 128 and 300 victims.
” Agreement in principle “
Considered by those in power to be primarily responsible for this violence, Succès Masra spent more than a year in the United States, Europe and several African countries where he continued to plead his cause and challenge the authorities. N’Djamena.
In response, the latter initiated proceedings, notably for “attempting to undermine constitutional order” and “inciting an insurrectionary uprising”. As proof, the prosecution exhibited the recording of a video broadcast in May on the opponent’s Facebook page and in which he repeats like a mantra: “To arms citizens. »
Behind these tensions, negotiations carried out under the leadership of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, designated “facilitator” in the Chadian crisis by the Economic Community of Central African States (Ceeac), were organized. After a stay in Chad, the latter successively invited Succès Masra to Kinshasa then a government delegation, before presiding on Tuesday, October 31, the signing ceremony of an “agreement in principle” between the two parties, allowing a concerted return of the opponent.
According to this document, Mr. Masra first undertakes to “favor actions facilitating the return to constitutional order within the allotted time”, to “respect the laws” and to “work for a peaceful political climate (…) avoiding any form of violent action.”
It’s time to celebrate
In return, and in accordance with the government’s promise, the international arrest warrant issued on June 8 against Mr. Masra was lifted by the public prosecutor of the N’Djamena Court of Appeal, thus avoiding his arrest upon his release. of plane.
In addition, the authorities must submit by the end of the month to the National Transitional Council “a general amnesty law for all civil and military actors involved in the events of October 20, 2022.” The opponent should therefore retain all of his civil rights which will allow him to run in the presidential election scheduled for October 2024 at the latest.
The government, however, retains certain cards in hand: “The arrest warrant is certainly suspended, but the procedure remains pending and does not fall under the amnesty law which only concerns the events of October 20,” notes a source close to the government , within which the opponent maintains solid enmities.
But, for now, it is time to celebrate: “I would like to wish my brother Succès Masra a safe return to the country of Toumaï,” Chadian transitional President Mahamat Idriss Déby declared in a press release. No one is too much in our vast and beautiful country. Welcome back! »
A victory for power
If the agreement seems to satisfy the authorities as much as Succès Masra, it also has its detractors. The Wakit Tama coalition (“the time has come”, in Chadian Arabic) which brings together several civil society and opposition movements, which had called for demonstrations on October 20, 2022, specifies in a press release that it “cannot recognize ourselves in this agreement”, while demanding a “settlement of human rights violations”.
“This agreement which whitewashes the authors of the repression (…) only binds the signatories,” adds opponent Yaya Dilo, president of the Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF). We will continue the fight until justice is obtained for all victims and democracy is established. »
Does this negotiated return carry with it the seeds of a division of the opposition, from which the regime will inevitably try to take advantage? In any case, this constitutes an undeniable victory for those in power, which thus obtains the “taking into account” of the Revised Transition Charter that the opponent rejected until now. N’Djamena, which imagines itself as a “model of inclusive transition”, also scores points with Western chancelleries and more generally with critical opinions regarding the few freedoms granted to opponents in the Chadian political space.
One of the unknowns of the moment now concerns the strategy that Succès Masra will adopt in the coming days. Although it seems that there is no longer any question of large demonstrations to demand the departure of the junta in power, questions remain about the participation of his party in the constitutional referendum scheduled for December 17. In any case, his commitments prevent him from requesting a postponement.
The person concerned, cryptic, declares for the moment to concentrate on “mourning” and announces “forty days of meditation, listening and solidarity (…) to heal the wounds and move forward”. However, the campaign for the referendum must open in less than two weeks.
