By Djinodji SOLMENGAR Rodrigue
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has granted a presidential pardon to former Prime Minister and opposition leader Succès Masra and eight former leaders of the Group of Political Actors’ Consultation, or GCAP.
The Presidency announced the pardons on Friday, August 14, four days after Mahamat Deby said in his Independence Day address that he would pardon several convicted Chadians.
Masra was serving a 20-year prison sentence. A court convicted him in August 2025 in connection with the Mandakao killings. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction in May 2026.
The eight other beneficiaries are former GCAP party presidents and secretaries-general, according to the Presidency. They had requested presidential pardons through their lawyers.
The Presidency said the nine people can be released once the Ministry of Justice completes the required procedures.
However, the pardon does not cancel civil penalties. The Presidency said civil claims and damages remain enforceable.
Separate sentence reductions
The President also signed a separate decree granting collective partial sentence reductions to other prisoners across Chad.
The measure provides reductions based on the length of each prison sentence. It excludes certain categories, including people convicted of terrorism, sexual crimes and drug offences.
The Presidency said people convicted of corruption can benefit from a reduction in their prison terms, but not from a full pardon.
The two decrees therefore establish separate measures. The first grants a presidential pardon to nine political figures. The second provides partial sentence reductions for other eligible prisoners.
Mahamat Deby had announced the pardon in his Independence Day message on August 10.
In accordance with the powers conferred on me by the Constitution, I will issue a presidential pardon for several of our compatriots who have been convicted.
In the same address, Déby called for political dialogue and reconciliation.
Political opponents are not enemies.
The release of Masra and the eight former GCAP leaders could broaden political participation and strengthen democracy in Chad.
